Nariku's Discovery
by Saturn-Ring-Network
Summary: Nariku  FemNaru  must deal with the usual things. Including new teammates, confussed emotions, and a physical change that has nothing to do with puberty.
1. A Meeting and Awarness

So, yeah. This is my first posted fanfiction… ever. I'm on a Naruto kick right now and I like the series as a whole. My girlfriend (AncientKyuubi {shameless plug}) writes her own fanfiction and she's a little infectious, so here I am writing a FemNaruto, and I really like it.

A couple of notes. I've noticed that Naruto's method of speech irritates some fans, so if you hate the "dattebayo" you won't want to read this one. I felt it added to the character to keep the verbal tic, and I liked the challenge of using a Japanese grammar error in an English written story. Next, said tic is mostly "-tte-ba-ne" not "-tte-ba-yo". The reason, if I'm writing a female Naruto and keep the tic, then it should be the same word as female parent Kushina. "-Tte-ba-yo" just sounds masculine to me and "-tte-ba-ne" sounds feminine.

Finally, my female Naruto is Nariku for this story. I wanted a similar but unique name.

I think that about covers it, so time for the standard disclaimer of "I don't own Naruto or its character" and the obligatory joke of, "I wish I did," "If I did I wouldn't be writing this," or something of plans of world domination.

I will RULE you ALL with an IRON FIST!  
YOU! Obey the fist!  
(AncientKyuubi bites fist)

Oh just start the show…book…story…whatever. Please read.

P.S. It's "M" for a citrusy reason.

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Meeting and Awareness**

Nariku stepped into the warm water at the bathhouse. This place was her favorite. The old woman running the front end was always nice to her, unlike the rest of the village. Though, the old lady could barely see past her nose. That probably had a lot to do with it. The water here was always just the right temperature for Nariku's taste, too. It was one of the few places she could get away from the things that annoy her and just relax. After today, she needed it badly.

She'd been assigned to her new team today. Sasuke, the embodiment of "I'm better then you", and Sakura, who just plain hated her. Nariku had gotten her team assignment, actually beat Sasuke in a fight, nearly kissed Sakura, and then spent the rest of the day on the toilet. She'd finally gotten over her sick gut and now needed something to get this terrible day off her mind.

She sank in to the water and just enjoyed the feeling of having her whole being covered by the warm and drifting sensation of the bath water. She came up and shook the water out of her hair and wiping her face off enough to keep the water from running into her eyes.

"Great. You're here."

Nariku nearly threw herself into the wall the tub was built into when she heard that voice. It was the familiar voice a certain new teammate of hers. Indeed, right in front of her was the pink-haired kunoichi, dressed appropriately for a bath and holding her bath kit in hand.

"S-S-S-Sakura! What are you doing here-tte-ba-ne?" Of course she was nervous. The last time she'd seen Sakura, the time before that she'd nearly kissed her pretending to be Sasuke. She also knew Sakura hated her, why she did, and guessed that if she'd been mortally wounded on a mission that Sakura would probably just leave her there to die. So this nude meeting was very awkward.

"Our water stopped for some reason. So I have to take my bath here."

"Why here?" she tried as hard as she could to not sound like she was annoyed by Sakura's presence. The last thing she wanted right now was to start a fight.

"It's a public bath house, Nariku." Saying her name in what sounded like an attempt to not say "you idiot."

"I mean 'why this one-tte-ba-ne?'" She was trying to get the pitch in her throat back to normal so she would stop sounding like she was accusing Sakura of wrong doing and trying to get her heart back down in her chest. She really let her guard way down in the bath. Maybe that needed to change.

"It's only two blocks from my house. The other one is five." Sakura said as if she were daring Nariku to say something about it.

"Okay. Fine. Whatever works? I didn't know you were so close to my place." Sakura just snit at her and sat at one of the showerheads with her back to Nariku.

Convince Sakura you aren't annoyed by her presence and try to persuade her to play nice: Mission Status: Failed.

Nariku just sank into the water up to her nose and blow bubbles thinking of what to say next, "Sakura?" She said in the least confrontational and most docile tone she could use. Please at least be willing to talk civilized.

"What?" she asked seemingly trying to force nicety.

Nariku flinched a little the response. She was going to try and be friendly with Sakura, seeing as they were on the same team, but she seemed to still be holding _it_ against her, "are you still mad about _that_?"

"What do you think?" The tone alone said enough, never mind the words.

"It's been six years."

"Do you know how bad _that_ hurt?"

_I've spent the last my whole life dealing with people telling me to die with just their glares. Do you know how much _that_ hurts?_ "Not really I guess. I'm sorry-tte-ba-ne." She said in a defeated voice.

"Too little, too late."

Nariku just sat there for a moment and, with nothing better to do, stared at Sakura. She knew she complained about not having much figure, but from what Nariku could see, she was off to a good start. She had cute and round butt with an okay curve in her waist. Sure, Ino had better hips and was farther along in breast development, no one could see under Hinata's clothes well enough to guess, and most of the other girls just a bit more developed than Sakura, but Sakura looked good enough to Nariku. What was it she was always complaining about? Sakura looked good as far as Nariku was concerned.

Desperate for something to say to Sakura, Nariku acted on her last thought, "Hey, Sakura," she said hoping to get a less aggressive response.

"What, Nariku?" Her tone had returned to normal. Maybe she'd scrubbed out the irritation making the foam she was rinsing off. She still wouldn't look at Nariku though.

Nariku swallowed hard, "Why do you complain about your body shape? You look fine to me, and we're young. It'll fill out eventually-tte-ba-ne."

Sakura turned to her and glared at her as if she'd been touched in an uninvited way, "Tell me why _you_ would have an opinion on _my_ body? You're not thinking anything just because we're both naked?"

"No. I'm just trying to have a conversation-tte-ba-ne," this whole thing was back firing in Nariku's face, "I know you hate me and I just want to find a reason for you to not let me die on a mission if I get hurt."

Sakura sighed. It actually sounded like she was trying not to be angry, "Nariku, I don't hate you per say. I'm just still bitter about what you did, and you annoy me. It's not enough for me to want you dead."

_Yay. Progress-ish-ness._ It was barely anything, but it was a small step forward. "You and everyone else-tte-ba-ne."

"What?" Was that concern in Sakura's voice? No she'd been hearing things.

"Nothing. I just want to be friendly if I can."

Sakura stood up and walked over to the large tub. Nariku noticed the size and shape of Sakura's breast. They were cute, small, and round. As she stepped in, her hips looked small but cute. She was slender in her legs, but it worked for her. Her thighs were starting to get a good tone to them and helped fill out her hips. For some reason, taking this all in made Nariku feel really self-conscious. She'd never thought much on her own figure, but now it was starting to creep into her mind.

"Do y-y-you think that you would be willing to answer my question-tte-ba-ne?" Nariku was still desperate to have something that would get Sakura to be friendlier.

"You mean about my body shape?" Sakura still sounded suspicious.

"You don't have to. I just wanted something to talk about and I picked that one out of desperation to find anything to say-ba-ne." Nariku hoped it would get Sakura to keep the conversation going, even if it was to change the topic.

Things stayed quiet for a time, "I just wish I had a little more T&A to work with. I know I'm just starting, but I feel like if I had a little more, maybe I could catch Sasuke's eye a little more."

"If it helps, I don't think that he cares much about that. It hasn't seemed to help Ino grab his attention, and she claims to love him as much as you do-tte-ba-ne." _Please don't hit me. Please don't hit me. Please don't try and drown me!_

"I guess you have a point," Sakura said while putting her hands over her breasts, "I still wish I had a little more right now. I think we all do. Don't you?"

"I don't think about it much." _But now I am for some reason._

"Well when you do, you'll probably think you need to be bigger then you are for a while. At least that's what my mom says." Sakura said in a tone that didn't give away her state of mind toward Nariku at the moment.

"I guess." This was turning awkward again, "So have you seen anyone else in our class naked before?"

"No! I don't go trying to look. Is that one of those things _you_ did on one of you mischievous tirades?" Sakura said in an accusing tone.

"No! I was just wandering if you've ever compared yourself to anyone else our age-tte-ba-ne?" She was really desperate to not give Sakura a reason to get mad at her. She really wanted Sakura to at least see her as an acceptable teammate.

"No I haven't. I don't think about _that_ much." She said as if trying to turn Nariku's own word against her.

Nariku felt the irritation in Sakura's voice. That was it. This whole poorly thought through plan had completely failed, "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm trying to be civil, but all I'm doing is irritating you. I'll just leave. I've been in for too long anyway-ba-ne."

She crawled out and started toward the exit. She was trying to get way as fast as she could. For now, she didn't even want to come back here anytime soon. At the door, she felt a hand on her wrist and she froze.

"Nariku, stop. I'm sorry. I just still feel a little bitter about _it_. I'll try to be nicer to you on our missions. Is that fine?" Sakura asked.

Nariku didn't doubt Sakura's words, but somehow she hadn't sounded sincere. Maybe Nariku was just too bothered to feel different now, but she just had a hard time believing it. She turned and gave Sakura a smile that didn't feel as real as she tried to make it look, "Thanks, Sakura. That's all I ask-tte-ba-ne."

"You can get back in if you aren't really done." She offered trying to keep her new found nice attitude going.

"No thanks. I'm really done. I'm just glad we can work together now, without any old grudges getting in the way-ba-ne." _Please let me leave already_.

"I'll try. That's all I can say." Sakura let her hand go.

"Thanks." She walked out of the bathroom as fast as she could, dried, dressed, thanked the front desk woman, and nearly ran out as fast as she could. All she wanted now was to go home.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Sakura got back in the tub and started to chew herself out. _You said you'd treat her better, especially after the way Sasuke-kun said you make him sick today._

The way she'd been called annoying with that glare made her think of how she'd just so callously run Nariku off when she'd tried to offer to have lunch with her. Nariku had tried to be nice and Sakura had just thrown mud in her face. Then Sasuke looked so angry at her for whatever it was she said.

He'd said that she didn't know how it felt to be alone. To think of it, no one had ever really done anything for Nariku that Sakura could think of. They'd all avoided her because their parents told them to. The one time they'd ignored them, it ended badly. Sakura would rather not remember it.

All this time Sakura had held it against Nariku. She'd never considered how Nariku felt for what she did. Maybe Nariku really did regret it. If she did, Sakura really should forgive her. It was just so hard to do so. It still didn't mean she shouldn't at least treat Nariku as a comrade now. They were on the same team and they needed to watch each other's back. Tomorrow, she'd try to get along with her better. But she was still annoying and old habits die hard.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Nariku stopped running and walked the rest of the way home. It was official, today was a terrible day. She'd hoped to make a little tiny break-through with Sakura back in the bath, but all she'd done was annoy her. As usual, nothing ever goes well for her.

Yes she'd finally been made a Genin, but now she was on the worst possible team she could have been put on. Sasuke would never think of her as a worthy teammate. So if she needed him to help her, she was screwed. Sakura, on the other hand, still hated her and their most recent encounter had done nothing to change it.

When she got into her house she walked past the eating table. She noticed that she'd left the milk out. Great, now on top of everything, she'd need to buy more milk. She picked the carton up to throw it out when she noticed the expiration date. It was nearly three weeks out of date! That was why she'd spent her whole day in the restroom! Why the hell hadn't she noticed the taste this morning?

She stormed over to her window, threw it open, and hurled the damn carton as far as she could. Marching back to the rest of mess she'd left out, she passed the full length mirror she had. She stopped and stared at her reflection. Her mind drifted back to Sakura's naked figure. It made her wander what her own body looked like, and how it stacked up. She knew she wasn't very big at all yet, but she'd never thought about her body looked compared to another.

She walked away from the mirror and started to take her clothes off. She stopped once her shirt was off. She never wore a bra, she didn't need one. She looked down at her breast, or lack thereof. Her chest didn't really have anything under her nipples. There were just enough lumps to look like she was going to eventually, but it looked more like leftover baby fat in her chest. She put her hands over them and tried to squeeze them, but there wasn't enough to really get her hands on, just enough to barely roll around. Her shoulders sagged and she took her pants and panties off.

Now that she was completely naked, she felt really nervous. She couldn't believe how exposed she felt in the privacy of her own home. She felt like backing out of the idea, but she needed to get an idea of just what she looked like.

Finally, she moved back in front of her mirror. She took herself in. Her chest looked as small in the mirror as it did looking at her toes. Her hips were very narrow. It looked like she hadn't even begun to fill out in the least. Her thighs looked nothing like Sakura's. Sakura's thighs seemed to add to her hips, Nariku's just followed the flow of her hips. Her stomach was toned just enough to show she worked her body hard. Her stomach was flat, her legs looked strong, and her arms showed the work she put into her throwing practice. The most unusual part of her torso was her lateral muscles.

They protruded from her body just a little. It wasn't much, but it did enough to change her body shape slightly. The extra width in her ribs made her look wider above the waist just enough to actually make her look kind of masculine.

She felt really depressed by the last thought. She knew she would grow more, but Sakura was right. She did wish she was bigger. Nariku ran her hands down her sides, over her hips, and off her legs several times in the hope it would help her see her reflection differently. Eventually she closed her eyes and tried the just feel her silhouette.

She felt every muscle, every rib, the bone in her hips, and the smoothness of her thighs. She tried to focus on the flow from her ribs to her hips. She was trying to feel any hint of the curve she saw in Sakura. She needed to feel something that hinted at Sakura's waist line. Those dips in her waist that turned out and filled out into the hips, or the curve in her hips that formed a plump butt. None of it was in Nariku's body.

She was starting to feel inadequate as a girl when she felt something different. She focused on the stroke that felt it. She had a hard time feeling it, but there it was. She really could feel a change at her waist that meant her hips were filling out into a woman's figure. She opened her eyes and followed the line she traced, see it for herself. Yes it was there, she did have just barely enough hip to look feminine. But the fact she had to look so hard to find it depressed her more. Once she stopped concentrating on seeing it, she started to look like a boy again.

Now she really felt embarrassed to be naked. She just looked herself in the mirror and started to cover her chest and crotch. She actually touched herself just to remind her she was a girl down there. When she did she felt something she'd not felt before. It was something she'd learned about in health class, but she forgot its name. It was something that tied into sex, she knew that much, but she couldn't make herself remember its name. She rubbed it just a little. It felt like a button. A fleshy button. So she'd just call it her button until she remembered the right name. At least it proved she was a girl.

Finally she gave up on the hope her reflection would make her look more like a woman and just flopped naked on her bed. She rolled herself on to it and let her hands slide down her body one more time. This time she went down her front, letting her fingers glance over chest. When her fingers hit her nipples, it felt different. They were hard, like little stones practically. They seemed more sensitive too. It felt good to let her fingers glide over them.

She explored the sensation more. Moving her fingers over them back and forth, sliding them up and down the pink knots on her chest. This new feeling was starting to stir something in her body. Her skin needed to be touched. She slide one of her hands down her stomach and traced the edge of her bellybutton. It all made her want more. A hot feeling started to form in her body, somewhere low. She followed her feelings to in-between her legs. She was confused now; she'd never _craved_ to be touched there. It had started to feel good to clean that in the bath lately, but it passed quickly. Now she seemed to _need_ it to be played with.

She started to trace circles around her nipple, the feeling making her want to arch her back and sent a feeling into her butt that nearly made it go numb. All of it made her more excited. She moved her fingers over her lower lips and stroked the outside. It tickled her in a new way. Now the hot feeling was getting stronger. She felt something in her move a finger in-between her lips and just pet it lightly. Her nipple playing finger pressed it down and started to roll it around. She felt something wonderful when she did that. She couldn't describe it, but she wanted more.

Nariku moved her mouth like she was talking, but she said nothing. She started to breathe harder and quicker. As she kept rolling her nipple, her body begged for more, so she pinched it once to see how it felt. Her brain practically begged for it to happen again and she only gladly complied. The finger in-between her lips was petting faster now and with longer strokes.

On one pass she hit her button and a wave of pleasure surged through her. It was swollen and so sensitive now. It begged for more like her nipple did. She pressed on it and rubbed just like her nipple and felt something better then she knew she could feel by herself. Her back arched more and her body felt like it was trying to press into her hand harder, making the whole thing feel even better.

She kept going, feeling a pressure build in her. It felt so good to make it build up in her as she messaged her nipple and button more vigorously. Then she noticed that her vagina was opening and closing as if it was begging to be touched. Her hand slid down, touched and rubbed the rim of it, causing her to find a new sensation to fall in love with. She let her fingers slide around the edge a couple of time before she tried pushing one in. The walls on the inside were so wet and moving hungrily as if trying to pull more in. The more she rubbed inside, the better the feeling got. Soon, one finger wasn't enough and she slipped in a second. Her body jolted at the feeling of her fingers messaging the inside of her vagina. It was so satisfying to feel her fingers curling around and stretching her out inside.

Her back was arching so high now. The hand on her nipple was pinching and tugging on it harder. The feeling of having it stimulated so much made her feel so much hotter, and it felt so right. She moved her fingers and stretched the walls of her vagina, curling her finger tips to tickle it, making her walls clamp down tighter and tighter. Eventually she couldn't move her fingers themselves so she started to move her wrist the push them in and out. Her brain screamed yes as loud as she did as if the one thing that was supposed to happen finally had.

She moaned loudly, panting when she lost her breath. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, the pleasure consuming her. She twisted her waist and arched her spine as much as she could while moaning and gasping in a daze of feelings she'd never felt before. The fluids form her vagina squished louder and louder the faster she pumped her finger into herself. Her nipple was feeding her such wonderful feelings as she rubbed, pinched, pulled and twisted it.

Her mind tried to give her a partner, someone worthy of filling her with this kind of feeling. Her mouth started to move in a phantom kiss as she envisioned her perfect guy on top of her stimulating her in such an unbelievable way. He would roll her nipples just like this and use his fingers to stoke her down there in the perfect way. Their mouths would intertwine as they kissed passionately.

Soon her tongue was licking the air at the idea on her perfect man wrestling with it while stimulating her. The idea of a partner made the pressure grow stronger and stronger. Nariku had no idea how long her body could stand this feeling, but if she hurt herself doing this, it was worth it. Her body was even trying to move on its own to make every stroke stronger. She needed to sit up to give her hips better movement.

She stopped to pull herself up and lean against the wall, and then she started to pump herself even harder than before. Her body was so hot and bothered now that she wasn't satisfied with her nipple, she need to message her button and stroke her vagina. As she did, her hips started to move on their own. She needed to move them to make it all feel even greater.

She leaned forward some and started to try making-out with her phantom partner, but his image wouldn't come back. She felt like she needed a partner that would feel like Nariku stroking herself. Then her partner returned to her mind as a female. One who could give deep passionate kisses and knew all the right places to rub to set Nariku's pleasure center on fire. She just needed a face. Nariku could feel the fire in her starting to fade with no face to her partner.

She stroked harder, desperate to keep the fire light while she filled in the blank face in her mind. She was desperate to fill it in. Her partner would have had a beautiful body worth showing off, soft skin that felt good to the touch, and silky hair that had a beautiful sheen. Her mind raced against the fading feelings and growing frustration. If she crashed off of this high, she might never wake up after she cried herself to sleep.

She was starting to feel tears fall from her eyes when her mind filled in the blanks. She heard a familiar voice speak to her in a soft and caring tone, "Nariku. What's wrong?"

"I don't feel like I'm going to get off without someone's help and I can't think of anyone-tte-ba-ne."

"I'll help you if you'll let me."

"I thought you hated me."

"I told you earlier I don't. I was mad but now I'm over it." Nariku's mind's eye showed her the face of her partner. The girl kneeled down next to her and touched Nariku's lower lips, "I'll apologize for being so cruel by helping you feel good," the imaginary Sakura Haruno said in a loving tone.

If Nariku had been sane at the moment, she'd have been horrified that her mind used Sakura for this, but right now she just need to keep this feeling going, "Please help me, Sakura." She closed her eyes and let her imagination run wild.

"Thank you for trusting me, Nariku." Sakura's hand slipped in-between Nariku's legs and started to play with her lips.

Nariku started to squirm at being teased so. Sakura had stopped the fire from going out, but hadn't started to re-stoke it. Nariku's frustrations weren't fading any, "Stop teasing me. Just stick your fingers in already!"

"How rude! I'm here trying to apologize and you're barking orders at me."

"Sorry. I just don't want this feeling to go away. Please, just hurry."

"Oh, but Nariku, the teasing is half the fun." Sakura move her head close and kissed Nariku deeply on the lips. Their tongues were soon wrestling each other and Sakura started to stroke Nariku's button and rub her nipple. Sakura's long hair tickled Nariku's body as their heads move around in their making-out; stirring deeper feelings of desire in Nariku's body and making her crave even more.

"Please quit teasing me. I feel like I'm going to burst with anticipation."

Sakura just smiled coyly, "Let me work and I promise you'll love it."

Nariku just wined like a puppy and Sakura started to move her head down Nariku's body. The light puffs of her breathing feeling almost as exciting as if Sakura had touched her with her lips. Then she felt her lips actually glance across her skin, causing a wave of ecstasy erupt from the point of contact.

Nariku moaned hungrily from the touch and Sakura giggled, "You just like everything don't you?"

"Everything is extra sensitive because you won't stick them in."

"In time. Just let me play. By the time I'm done, you won't be able to think." Sakura whispered playfully in Nariku's ear tickling her with that smooth, soft, long, and lovely pink hair.

Sakura drifted back down Nariku's body, letting the long strands slip over everything on the way. She finally stopped with her head in-between Nariku's thighs and smiled up at her. Nariku pleaded with her to hurry-up, but Sakura just grinned and spread Nariku's lower lips open and licked her button.

Nariku threw her head back at the sensation, but still craved the touch of a finger. She continued to beg for relief, until Sakura complied without warning. When she felt the finger go in, Nariku shot straight back up to the high she was on just before her near crash.

"See, I said you'd love this." Sakura teased.

Nariku couldn't talk. Her moaning was too strong to let any other sound out of her throat. That's when Sakura put the second one in, causing Nariku's head to shot back and her back to arch as much as it could. She started to move her hips and drive Sakura's fingers deeper.

"Do you want me to make it feel even better?"

"How can it?" Nariku managed to groan out.

"Like this." Nariku felt Sakura's hair tickle her thigh as her head moved closer to Nariku's pelvis. Her body exploded with excitement when she felt Sakura's tongue stroke her button. And not just once. Sakura started to do it in time with her fingers, nearly driving Nariku insane.

"OOOOh god! That's soooo goooood!" Nariku cried. Her eyes were flowing with tears of joy as she tried her hardest not to move in a way that would disrupt Sakura's work. Her body was feeling even better than before. The pressure felt like it was going to make her body explode and she still wanted more, "don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop! Please Sakura. Make me explode!" She begged her friend.

"Gladly." Sakura giggled before she practically assaulted Nariku's button with her tongue. Nariku jolted and squirmed, but Sakura never missed a beat. Her fingers driving deeper and harder into Nariku's vagina, stretching her walls, her tongue almost trying to pull Nariku's button off with each stroke.

Nariku could feel herself about to blow. Her body was going crazy with pleasure. Her hips wouldn't stop moving. The pressure finally hit the breaking point, "Sakura. I'm gonna blow!"

"Let it all go."

"It's coming. It's coming. It's coming! I'm gonna blow!" Nariku's pressure finally burst, "I'M BLOOOWIIIINNGGG!" A wave rushed over her whole body as she felt the most wonderful feeling coming from her nether regions; her mind swimming in what had to be the greatest experience of her body in her short life.

Nariku's whole body went limp. She was panting harder than she did after a hot summer outdoor workout. Her eyes slowly opened to the reality of her apartment. Her hands were tired and she felt just a little sore down there. Sakura was gone, even though she'd never been there to begin with. She felt the juice covering her hands and a dry feeling on her tongue. She must have had her tongue out of her mouth the entire time she was fanaticizing.

She moved her hands so she could see them. They were covered in sticky fluids. She really had blown. For some reason she felt the urge to lick the fluid off her hand. She sheepishly moved her hand to her mouth and let herself breathe the odor in first. It was musky, like body odor, but different. Her tongue stuck out and touched her wet finger. It wasn't horrible, but it might not be all that great either.

She decided to just lick her hands clean. The taste was strange, but the act itself made her feel good, like she had when she was messaging herself. When her hands were clean she noticed how wrinkled they were. How long had she been burying them in her wet hole? And why had she used Sakura as a partner in her fantasy?

She licked her hand again and imagined it was her cleaning Sakura's hand. The warm feeling that had started the flames of desire in her came back. Had she really started to want Sakura or was this something to do with a guilty conscience? No, if it had been a guilty conscience she'd been making Sakura feel good.

She noticed the mess she'd made when she blew. The wet spot was huge. Nariku almost thought it looked like she'd wet herself, but it was too small for that to be it. Her mind kept bouncing around the experience until she came back to the question of Sakura.

She thought about seeing Sakura naked at the bathhouse. The curve of her waist and hips, the elegance of her thighs and legs, the size shape of her breast, and the way her well tended hair flowed down her body. Then her mind moved even farther back; to the near kiss. The image of Sakura lips puckered waiting for a kiss from the one she truly loves. The longing shown even through those closed eyes. The idea that she looked that way for Nariku, if she wanted the real Nariku that way, made Nariku's heart skip a beat.

That proved it; somehow Nariku had fallen for Sakura. She blushed as she thought of her and Sakura actually sharing one of these experiences. Then reality set in when she remembered how much Sakura care for Sasuke and truly didn't care for Nariku.

Saddened at the reality of her first crush being doomed before it could ever go anywhere, she threw the covers open, turned off the light, ignored the wet spot, and laid down to go to sleep just as she was, "It's official. Today was a terrible day."

* * *

Aye, that'll 'bout do it. For chapter 1 anyway. I don't like to give out the coupling in my summaries or author's notes. You'll just have to read the rest and see/sweat-out what happens.

I'm in college right now and don't know how reliable of an updater I can be, but I'll try to make it more than once every six months like some people will do. If I can, I'll have one a month as the bare scratch minimum.

Now for the obligator "Please comment and review." I am sincere about that, I just like my jokes. Please comment and review. If you want to Fav, I will not argue with you (wink wink {over used stale joke}).

P.S. I don't do flames, they hurt when you do them… a lot. I'm not going back to the hospital for a relationship I know won't work.


	2. An Apology and the Hospital

I think I need to explain some things from the last author's notes. The first one is that the "I don't do flames…" joke. I had hoped people would get it without me explaining, but it looks as if I must. The _do_ in question is in reference to _that_do, i.e. insinuation of fornication. If a man were to try to fornicate with a flame, literally a fire, it wouldn't end well, i.e. the afore mentioned hospital trip. I had hoped that that would be understood in the wording of the sentence, but I guess I failed to make it clear.

Secondly, the reason I "don't do flames" is because they are a waste of time. If you want to be critical and point out grammar error, story continuity problems, or intelligently show the weaknesses or failings of my plot or my writing style then fine. That's just a negative critique, I'm an art major, I can deal with that. What chaps my hide is when some Guy With a Jar of Pickles (yes they called themselves that) decides that my story is the one they will vent their frustrations about FemNaru and Naruto Yaoi on. Flames are nothing but you complaining to someone who probably isn't interested in hearing it, or an attempt to express how much you think the FanFiction craze sucks. So you're best option is to go get a cookie and sit in the corner while the grown-ups write to the best of their abilities. I am fully capable of dealing with flames; I just find them a complete waste of time and effort.

I would appreciate some more reviews, useful ones. Seriously, my first review, ever, period, first one I ever got at all, was a flame. How the heck am I a magnet to the people who want to be as cruel as possible? Pickles Man, go fuck yourself. I ain't writing this story for you, you little prick. And I deleted your anonymous review. I'm writing it for anyone who will appreciate it and for my own entertainment. I just want to write a story like this just because I can't find one for myself. If it doesn't exist, make it yourself, so I did.

I didn't mean to rant; I just thought it needed to be addressed. I'm actually a fairly good natured person; I just don't appreciate being used as a punching bag. Please enjoy this chapter and review the story.

Disclaimer of my non-ownership of "Naruto"- I wish I had that kind of money. Remember to obey the fist that AncientKyuubi chewed on. Please read.

P.S. Still "M", but for citrus light this time.

* * *

**Chapter 2: An Apology and the Hospital**

What a day today was. More like what a heck of the past two weeks. This old-man was claiming to train her, but all he would do is peep on the girls playing in the river while she worked all day every day to get the hang of Kuchiyose No Jutsu. If the old-man liked them that much, he should just go say something and deal with the inevitable rejection. Though, she didn't have much room to talk on that note.

She'd hoped the "crush" on Sakura would fade when she accepted it wouldn't happen, but it hadn't gone anywhere. In fact, it was getting stronger. It was a little at a time, but by now she was starting to accept that she actually "loved" her. _I hope not, otherwise my life will turn really miserable_.

Now the dirty old man was doing something even weirder. He had taken her out to eat whatever she wanted and as much as she could, but he'd made it sound like he was going to treat her. Instead, he'd abandoned her with a bill she could barely cover. Damn him for that. Damn him to whatever would be the worst hell for him there is.

"Enjoy your meal, Kid?"

"DAMN YOU, ERO-SENNIN! That was every mon I owned-tte-ba-ne!" she really wanted to hit him right now.

"Then you shouldn't have eaten so much." He said with an aggravating grin.

"YOU MADE IT SOUND LIKE YOU WERE TREATING, ERO-SENNIN-TTE-BA-NE!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT! And when exactly did I say that I was going to pay for your meal? I just said enjoy as much as you wanted. That doesn't automatically mean I would pay."

"I hate you-tte-ba-ne."

"Now for the next stage of your training." He completely ignored her as he walked passed and she shot him the bird behind his back, "Now," he turned back to her and had a strange look on his face, "Is there anyone you like?"

"What do you mean-tte-ba-ne?" she blushed as Sakura's face came to mind as an answer to the question. _I hope I get over this soon. I can't live like this if it gets worse_.

"You know. Some _guy_ you have a _thing_ for." Somehow when he said it, it reeked of something immoral.

"Guy? Noooo." It was the truth. Her current "thing" was for a girl.

"I guess you haven't found one yet." He stood up and thought, "Well is there anything you want to get off your chest. Clean it out of your conscience?"

She looked away and thought on it hard. Of course she'd want to finally get Sakura to forgive her for what happened when they were kids. That had been the hardest thing to get her to let go of. The two of them had become fair friends, but that still hung in the air like a stale fart in a tiny, crowded room.

"Thought of something?" he looked like he was glad to see it.

"Yeah. When I was a kid, I finally got the kids to play with me and I got to excited and nearly put one of them in the hospital-tte-ba-ne."

"Wow, Kid. You don't play around do you?"

"It was an accident! I didn't think it would hurt that bad. I don't think she's ready to forgive me yet."

"Then go talk to her about it!" he boldly declared.

"NANITTEBANE!"

"Your next step in training is to clear your conscience! You can't continue if you have regrets." He folded his arm to show he wouldn't budge on this.

"Fine! If it's for my training maybe she'll hear me out." She marched passed him irately. This was not going to be easy. She'd tried once before after they became a team and Sakura just shut her out. She didn't even try to talk to her about it. Nariku wasn't looking forward to this.

When she finally found Sakura, she was leaving the library. That figured, with her grades at the academy, she must have lived in there. Now Nariku was getting nervous, how should she approach her? The instant she brought _that _up Sakura would either shut her out again, or tell her to get lost. Finally, she had an idea that would be her only way in if she could help it.

"Sakura!"

She turned and looked at Nariku then scowled as if she didn't want to deal with her, "What is it Nariku?" At least she didn't sound like she was agitated at her so maybe it was something else.

"Could you help me with my training?" _Please don't say "no". I don't know what else would get your attention._

Sakura sighed heavily, "Fine but make it fast."

"Could you follow me?" her nerves were showing.

"Lead the way." She sounded willing at least.

Nariku lead her into a little back alley just to get out of the way of traffic. Nariku didn't want anyone to hear this but them and Ero-Sennin. She decided to just open up about the topic because she couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Okay, Nariku. Why are we here? I _do _have things to do." She _was_ impatient.

"Okay. I need to talk to you about something. It's part of my training and I know you won't like it-"

"I'm gone." Sakura turned to leave.

"Mattettebane!" She grabbed Sakura's wrist.

"I'm not talking about this!" Sakura said with enough venom in her voice to scare one of Orochimaru's snakes.

"Please, Sakura! The old-man said that I can't advance in my training without clearing my conscience." It seemed to get her attention enough to make her stop, but that vengeful look wouldn't leave. This was still a really deep wound for Sakura.

"What old man?" Sakura looked over Nariku shoulder. Nariku looked around and couldn't find hide or hair of Ero-Sennin.

"Damn…it." now she was on her own and looked like a liar, "please, Sakura. Let me apologies for this. I can't tell you how much I regret that-tte-ba-ne!" for some reason it felt like she was more hurt than she should by the rejection than she should have been. Sakura looked at her as if she were deciding to stay or leave.

"Fine. If it's some kind of training, speak your peace." She leaned against the wall and folded her arms, looking ready to leave at the drop of a hat.

"Thank you-tte-ba-ne." Nariku tried to steady her heart, "I'm sorry."

"Is that all?" of-course Sakura wouldn't want to talk about it. She was the one who had to go to the hospital that day.

"No! I just don't know what else to say-ba-ne. You know I'm really stupid." Why was she belittling herself?

"No you're not. You just don't think very complexly." Sakura was actually being nice while they tried to talk about it. _Yay! Progress-ish-ness!_

"Thanks. I just wish you'd forgive me. I don't know how to say 'I'm sorry' better than that." Her heart was racing. Her crush wasn't fading and this wasn't helping. Why was she feeling desperate for Sakura to forgive her so she could get closer? Sakura would never stop feeling the way she did about Sasuke, so why bother?

_You love her like it or not._

'Damn you.'

"Do you know how scared I was? I thought I might die that day." Sakura pulled her out of her inner argument.

"I know. I know. I just… I didn't mean to hurt you that bad. I got to excited and I didn't think about the consequences-tte-ba-ne." _I'm not gonna cry. I'm not gonna cry!_She wasn't sure if she could hold them in though. All she could do was endure Sakura's comments.

-^-v-^-v-^-

"Okay. Okay. I get it. You just acted before you thought." Sakura had never seen Nariku this emotional. She actually looked like she might cry. Not like the goof tear fest she'd had leaving the Land of Waves, actual hurt emotions tears.

"I know it was wrong to injure you that bad. I mean I knew you wanted to be a ninja and I nearly ruined it for you. I just can say 'sorry' enough-tte-ba-ne." she looked Sakura in the eyes seemingly desperate to earn her forgiveness.

Sakura thought back on that day. Shikamaru had been the one who talked them into letting Nariku play with them despite what their parents had told them. The game had been fun and Sakura had suggested they make it a game of ninja. It had actually been fun and Nariku looked more elated then Sakura would have been if her mom had let her loose in a toy store with no restriction on what to buy. She was happy to see the girl they were told was dangerous and to be avoided acting so happy and Sakura thought she was just like any one of them. Just more nimble seeing as she made most of her moves from the roof tops.

It all changed when Nariku had injured her. It was an accident, but Nariku should have known better even if she was all alone. Sakura was just lucky that one of the village's top medics was the adult that they found to help her. It was the first time that Sakura thought that she was going to die.

"Do you know how badly that hurt or how scared I was? I really thought I was going to die." she said with what might have been more venom then she intended. Nariku flinched, she never flinched.

"No. No I really don't because I've never been in that situation and I understand that I can't understand-tte-ba-ne. We were kids and it was a game. I'm kinda braced for it on missions so I doubt that fear of death I felt in the Land of Waves compares to a seven-year-old's fear of death-tte-ba-ne." Nariku looked really hurt over this. She really did regret her actions that day.

Sakura's own venom hurt her for some reason. She saw how much Nariku cared and wanted to make amends but Sakura felt determined to hold a grudge. She thought hard about it. Nariku had helped out a lot in the Forest of Death and Sakura had grown to admire her for how she just kept growing and getting stronger. Sakura had held this grudge for six years, even after being made teammates with Nariku, Sakura didn't want to let it go. Now her grudge suddenly felt stale and heavy. Nariku was punishing herself for her actions and Sakura was making it worse by not forgiving her. She just wasn't that kind of sadist and she felt bad for acting like one.

"You're right, it is a different feeling." Nariku looked more depressed, "but I think I've let my anger and hatred get the better of me. I shouldn't have hated you for an accident and I shouldn't have held a grudge for this long. Stop worrying over it, Nariku. I forgive you."

"Really-tte-ba-ne?"

"You were right in the bathhouse that day. It's been six years. I should have let it go sooner, but I was just so angry at you for injuring me like that."

"I had hoped what that guy did would have been enough for you-tte-ba-ne."

"You did earn it." Nariku rubbed her cheek and looked a little hurt.

"I didn't think so at the time, but maybe."

"Let's just make it water under the bridge," Sakura stood up and leaned toward her, "let's try and be friend with nothing in-between us now."

"Thank you-tte-ba-ne!" Nariku hugged her enthusiastically. Sakura flinched and at the move, but hugged Nariku back when she got over it. It made her heart feel warm to have Nariku hugging her like this. She knew that she'd been hurting having Sakura hold the incident against her, and it made Sakura feel good to see her relived to be forgiven. In fact, Nariku looked like she should have a tail to wag right now to express her relief. Sakura was happy for her.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Jaraiya had made himself scarce after they'd wandered into the ally. This was the kid's problem to address and he need not the there. It had been a truly heartfelt apology and he could tell that she'd changed the heart of her friend when she'd poured her own out. It was truly a touching moment. _Now I kinda regret that I'm about to throw her off a cliff._

-^-v-^-v-^-

Nariku was more ecstatic then she could express. She'd finally earned Sakura's forgiveness after six years of guilt. She was also happy that she hadn't been shoved off for the hug she was giving. Her heart was starting to pick-up its beating and that crush feeling was getting stronger again. She felt the urge to say something right now, but repressed it.

She eventually pulled herself away, "I need to go now-tte-ba-ne. I'll see you later." Sakura waved good-bye as Nariku rounded a corner and bumped into Ero-Sennin, "Where were you?"

"Feel better now?" He ignored her question again.

"Yes actually." She felt too good to let him ruin it. Until her knees gave out. She may have eaten her fill of ramen, but her chakra was still at basically zero and now she felt it.

"Come on, Kid." He lifted her onto his back letting her sit on his scroll, "You need to be at zero for this to work, remember."

"Yeah." She said drowsily. She just rested on his back until they got to their training spot. On the way she thought about Sakura. She was so happy that Sakura would finally put it behind her. She felt so warm hugging her. Her heart tried to skip a beat thinking about telling Sakura she wanted to be more than friends.

'Quit it. She loves Sasuke and it won't happen.'

_So what? It doesn't mean you feel any different._

'I'm just her friend.'

_A friend who masturbated to the idea of both of you being together._

'Shut up!'

_Is it really that bad being in love with her?_

'I'm not!'

_Aren't you?_

'No.'

_Oh that was convincing._

'I'm not.'

_Think about her for a minute_.

Nariku thought about what her time with Sakura was like. She had admired how Sakura could be so capable, yet stay feminine. She was a lot of things Nariku wanted to be. She was smart, quick learning, had great hair, a better figure, and was kind to most people. Kind of violent, but a good person in her heart.

_Someone's wooed._

'But I'm a girl too.'

_Love is blind._

'She won't go for it.'

_Settle your own emotions first, then try to win her over._

'I don't know.'

_If you knew she'd say 'yes' would you ask her if she loved you and accepted your love?_

'Yes. If I knew I wouldn't have to deal with rejection, then I wouldn't hesitate.'

_Then I think you're in love with her._

'Is it wrong to love her?'

_Having love isn't wrong. Iruka's precious to you, that's a kind of love._

'Why do I love Sakura?'

_To ask that question means you've accepted that you _do_ love her. Have you?_

Nariku thought about how she felt around Sakura. She'd been feeling more and more strongly about her since the day they'd nearly kissed. Just thinking about it made Nariku's heart jump. She wanted to experience that for real, and with Sakura accepting that it was her, not her transformed into Sasuke. She wanted Sakura to hug her like they did today more. She wanted to feel Sakura embrace her, to feel her actually return these feelings.

_So is that a 'yes'?_

'Yes. I am in love with her. But when did it start?'

That question would have to be answered another day. Ero-Sennin had gotten them to where he wanted them.

"Alright, Kid. Down you go" He hoisted her off of his back and placed her on the ground. As her feet got use to her weight again he looked down at her with a serious expression that she'd never seen on him before, "Your training ends today. If you value your life, you've got to figure things out for yourself. Okay.."

"What?" he poked her hitai-ate and jabbed her backwards. She flew back; she didn't know that someone could push that hard with just one finger. As she fell to the ground, it dawned on her that it took too long to touch it and she was still falling. She saw the ground pass her as she fell and she realized that she was falling into a canyon. This really was it, if she couldn't grab the walls or find a way to stop, she was really about to die.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Where was she? What had happened? Last she knew she was falling into the canyon. That's right; she tapped into her sub-conscience and met the Kyuubi. Then she used its chakra to summon one big-ass frog. Gamabunta wasn't someone she was going to argue with; she was a fly next to his mouth. At least he _did_ save her from the canyon, but she'd burnt herself out so much that she passed out on the way out. He must have dropped her at the hospital; because that was the ceiling she was seeing blurry. It didn't matter; she just wanted to sleep more.

Soon she felt herself in an odd state. She was out in a field, looked like a training ground. She was sparing with Sakura. She couldn't gage how good or bad she was doing. How either of them were doing. Soon they were having a conversation.

"I've been hearing things about you, Nariku." Sakura threw a kick.

"Like what?" Nariku caught the kick and pushed her back. She used the momentum to back flip.

"Something about you and me." Sakura said with a coy smirk.

"What?" Nariku blushed.

"Open!" Sakura grabbed Nariku's arm and flip her onto her stomach and pinned her down.

"CRAP-TTE-BA-NE!"

"I win!" Sakura let her up and sat in a chair, "So, care to tell me about it?"

Nariku got up and sat in a chair herself. Her apartment was in… wait. When did they get in her apartment? How had they? She felt weird. Then it hit her. She was dreaming, and she was now conscious of it. She didn't know whether or not to let herself control it. She decided to let it play out and tried to lose herself in it.

"What do you want to know?"

"I heard you like me."

"We are friends. I should like you-tte-ba-ne."

"I mean you _like_ me. You know, a crush." She had a coy grin.

"NANITTEBANE!"

"You do! I knew it!" She looked like she'd been proven right by making up a rumor.

"How'd you guess?"

"You know you blush a lot around me."

"No-tte-ba-ne!" she felt herself blush. _Damn she's right._

"You're cute you know that?" she leaned in close to Nariku.

"You think I'm what?" her heart started to race.

"You know, I like you too." Sakura said almost beckoningly.

"You what-tte-ba-ne?"

"You know. 'Like you'. As in the thing you did with 'me' by yourself that night."

"YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT-TTE-BA-NE?"

"Yes I do. And if that's how you felt you should have told me." Sakura started to lean closer with an almost beckoning look on her face.

"But I thought that you wouldn't like me like that. We only just moved passed the incident six years ago." Sakura moved in to be sitting right next to her with what was now a seductive look.

"I can change my mind can't I?" She put a hand on the back of Nariku's head and pulled her into a kiss.

This really was a dream. No way the real Sakura would change her mind this fast or be this straight forward, but Nariku wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. And a dream never hurt anyone.

Sakura ran her hand up Nariku's leg and to the waist of her pants. Then she laid her back on her bed and started to undo her pants. She didn't care how she got on her bed or how Sakura got naked; she just wanted this dream to go where she knew it was going.

As her pants came off, she felt Sakura's hands rubbing up and down her thighs. It made her feel so hot to feel Sakura playing with her like this. Then she felt a hand go up her jacket and start to twist her nipple. She moaned as she felt it being stimulated and pulled.

"Sakuraaaa. I love yoooou."

"I know you do. I do you too. Now let's have some fun."

"Let's go!" It's a dream, just enjoy it.

Sakura pulled Nariku's panties off and leaned her head down and just assaulted Nariku's button. She threw her head back and let herself moan lustfully. She wasn't even trying to hide her desire for this. Her hips bucked and her nipples got harder and harder. It was kind of fun to be gotten off with her jacket still on.

Her body started to feel the ever familiar flame starting to roar in her and the pressure starting to build. Sakura seemed to take that as a cue to start fingering her. Nariku's head jolted back again and her body started to move to make things more stimulating.

Then Sakura did something new, she stuck her tongue into Nariku's vagina and started to twirl. Nariku felt her body start to reach her limit. The new sensation was the best one yet. As Sakura started to get more vigorous with her stimulating, Nariku came closer and closer to her climax. She started to moan louder and buck her hips more vigorously, but Sakura never lost momentum. She felt the pressure building and building until she felt it all let go in one giant burst.

As she started to stir, she remembered she was in the hospital. Her eyes drifted around the room and noticed Shikamaru Nara at her bedside reading. She started to stir more and he took notice

"Oh! You're awake are you? Enjoy your dream?"

"What?" She blushed thinking about it and what hints he might have been given.

"You looked quite happy rolling there and breathing harder than normal. Where you chasing a rabbit?" He grinned at her teasingly.

"I'm not a dog. What brings you here?" This guy never went out of his way to do anything.

"Choji's in and I heard you were here too, so I thought 'what the heck I'll visit'."

"Did Choji hurt himself training-tte-ba-ne?"

"No. He ate too much and got sick. We thought it was something bad he ate, but it turned out to be indigestion."

"Ha ha ha ha, sounds like Choji!" She hadn't realized how much she actually knew about these guys. Why weren't she friends with them?

"Yeah. Well the nurse won't let Choji have this," he pulled out a fruit basket, "So I thought it would be a shame to waste it." he handed it over to Nariku.

"Thanks!" She'd never had anyone give her anything for no reason before. He might not have intended it to be that way, but she liked it none-the-less. Shikamaru could be a nice guy when he wanted. He was even kind of handsome. _If _she did "get over" her "thing for Sakura" she might would give him a shot. But she was really in love with Sakura and that didn't look like it was going to change anytime soon. As she was about to bight into a very delicious looking apple, she froze with a mischievous idea.

"What's wrong? You sick?" Shikamaru asked.

"Let's go eat this in front of Choji. It'll drive him crazy-tte-ba-ne." She giggled

"That's so mean. I like it!" Shikamaru said with a grin on his face. With that they both left the room with mischief and her dream still on her mind. As they hurried down the hallway, Nariku didn't realize she'd awaken to what would be a true nightmare.

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That's that for now. I hope you liked it. Sorry for offending anyone who didn't deserve it, and if you did deserve it, you earned it. Please review, I don't mind anonymous ones, and remember that if you flame, it won't stay up for long. I do appreciate all the reviews I did get from the last chapter and I look forward to more. I'm an optimist, what can I say?


	3. The Change

I love a good weekend. I got into a good mood after I posted the last chapter and so I started to write and I got this one churned out too. Thank you Cenright for giving me a critique in your review. I appreciate all the good things my new reviewers have said, but to have someone comment more complexly on the plot or style is a good thing some times.

I'm glad you know what that feels like, Inuyonas. Flames suck and are useless. I'm glad you like my writing and I hope you and everyone else reading likes the new chapter.

Just don't get used to this double update thing. I just had an overflow from the Muse this weekend. She don't give me those that often. She does like my bad side and he's been giving her what she likes so she's been more generous lately. We'll just see how it turns out.

Quick note, something I forgot to mention last time. I want to focus on my original story in this Fiction, so if it's canon we can all go back and watch or read, I'm just kinda gonna skip it. That's why I didn't go into the details with Gamabunta in the canyon. This is with minimum exception (such as the thing with Shikamaru) or if I make some kind of relevant change to a canon moment. Hope y'all don't mind or didn't get confused last time.

Disclaim "Naruto" and all characters and places. Now obey the chewed iron fist and read… Please.

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**Chapter 3: The Change**

It had been months since her first time pleasuring herself. She had gotten somewhat hooked on the sensation. But she never did it on a mission, so she kind of went through a withdrawal session when she got a chance to do it when she got home. It never bothered her to not do it on missions; she just realized how much she missed it when she got home.

She'd also discovered some cleaver tricks to help herself feel better. She'd figured out that she could get really far just by playing with her nipples. It felt like she might be able to actually blow from it if she was in the right mood and had a partner doing it. She'd found out that her button was so sensitive that she could get off from just playing with it. The textures of certain cloths were fairly enjoyable when she wanted variety from her touch. The biggest discoveries were from the changing of her position and that if she clutched her pillow while fanaticizing about a partner, the pillow pacified the need for another's body well enough. At first.

She'd found that it could work wonders when combined with the changing of her pose. If she clutched it in-between her legs, she felt like she was intertwined with them. To just hug it tight while laying on her side and messaging her button felt as though she were hugging them while they stimulated her vigorously. She'd even managed to clutch it in-between her legs and message herself while holding her butt in the air and clenching her sheets with her teeth. It only worked once and she wasn't sure how she'd pulled it off. She also didn't know what kind of stimulating her partner could have done in reality if she ever tried this position, but she would never argue with it if she ever found out. There were two problems: She was starting to get less and less out of self stimulation, which was probably caused by the second problem, she always fantasized that her partner was Sakura.

The more she tried to get off on just her own hand or a made-up partner, the more and more hollow the final climax felt. Sometime, fantasizing about Sakura would actually dull the feeling instead of stimulate it just because of the longing thinking about her stirred up in her heart. How many months had they been Team 7? How long had she been feeling the desire to win Sakura's affection? And how long had she been repressing it knowing that she'd never steal Sakura's heart from Sasuke?

In just the first two or so, they'd had their mission to the Land of Waves. She'd fought so hard and even found out that her teammates cared for her. She'd worked up the nerve to ask Sakura how to better control her chakra in the tree climbing exercise and Sakura actually gave it to her without sounding annoyed or superior to her. Before that, Sasuke had saved Nariku's life from the rouge ninja who attacked them on the highway, then actually threw himself in front of Haku's attack for her. She was so relieved to see that he wasn't dead. They'd somehow become friends and she didn't want to lose him. Plus, if he died, Sakura would have been sadder than Nariku knew she was capable of imagining. She never wanted to see that, or think about how things would be if Sakura somehow came to blame her for Sasuke's death. It really had been stupid of her to just announce herself _and_ sneak _inside_ an enemy attack.

After that Kakashi-sensei had signed them up for the Chûnin exams. She was so excited to get the chance to move up in rank. It would put her that much closer to becoming Hokage. During the second exam she'd been so determined to make up for her short comings in the written test, but all she'd done was get eaten by a snake, gotten knocked out by the nutcase who eventually attacked the village and kill the Third, and even though she'd knocked out the three that they got their heaven scroll from, for the most part her major role had been to play decoy. It was for the good of the group, but she'd hoped to be a bigger hero then she'd gotten to be. It also disappointed her to see Sakura cut off most of her beautiful long hair. Sakura's cheering meant a lot to her in the third exam. If she had not been so focus on kicking Kiba's ass, her heart would have skipped a beat.

The best thing that had come from finally getting to be on a team with Sakura was that Sakura had warmed up to her somewhat. It still felt like there was tension over the game of ninja when they were kids, but most of Sakura's grudge seemed to have dulled from watching Nariku grow. Dull, but not die out. At least not until Ero-sennin had told her to clear her conscience as part of her training. It finally gave her the nerve to tell Sakura about how she really felt about injuring her that badly when they were seven. That finally earned Nariku Sakura's forgiveness; then the dirty old man went and threw Nariku off a damn cliff!

She'd told Sakura about how she felt about hurting her so bad, but not how she felt about Sakura herself. She'd fought Gaara so hard to save Sakura's life, but it hadn't seemed to change Sakura's feelings toward her. Of course it wouldn't have. As far as Sakura should think, Nariku merely fought valiantly for the sake of saving a friend and the village she cared for. Now Nariku's biggest concern was how her newest change would affect Sakura's opinion of her.

Less than a week after the Third's funeral, Nariku went through a change no one would have expected. She woke up one morning after a fitful sleep and for some reason felt really strange on her head and on her back. She could hear more clearly and something on her scalp itched. When she reached up to scratch the spot, her hand rubbed against something fuzzy. Moreover, she actually felt her fingers touch it; she was getting feeling from the thing itself.

That made her hair stand on end. She felt the thing more and more. Soon it twitched away from her hand; and she'd done it herself. She felt something that bothered the new thing on her head and she'd moved it to get it away from the pestering. Just as she thought she couldn't bug out anymore, she felt something new in-between her thighs. She froze at the sensation. She felt something fluffy moving over her legs.

She'd felt enough now that she needed to see what was on her for herself. She flew out of bed and skid to a halt in front of her mirror. She'd started sleeping in the nude more often now and her body hadn't changed much since the first time she'd analyzed it. Before this morning the biggest change had been that she'd grown in a tuft of curly short hairs that older girls seemed to groom and trim for their bikini line. This morning though, she had fox ears on the top of her head, the hair on her scalp, eyebrows, and even eyelashes were now reddish orange, and she had a fluffy fox tail swinging behind her butt.

_WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME?_ She couldn't figure out how she'd grown fox parts overnight. Or why it changed her hair color. How had this happened? She felt her new ears again. They looked like they'd replaced her human ears. They felt funny too. She could touch and feel them, but it didn't feel like her body parts. It felt more like somehow she'd made shadow clone parts and grew them from her body. It was like they were physical concentrations of chakra more than flesh and blood parts.

The same seemed true for her tail. As she ran her hand over it the fur felt all too real, but the tail itself didn't feel the same and her arms and legs would have felt from being touched. It also seemed to move like it had no bones in it. So if this was some weird jutsu fluke or accident, then maybe it would dispel like a shadow clone would. She walked over to her table and laid her tail on it. It was so weird to feel this thing move at just a thought. She braced for the worst if she was wrong; which she was.

When she hit the tip as hard as she could, a wave of pain shot straight to her brain. It didn't just hurt; it hurt like Hell. Needless to say she screamed out in agony at the self-inflicted injury to her newest limb. As she nursed the new part of her body, she started to try and understand what it all was. The pain in her tail tip felt different then if she had stubbed her toe. It felt like what she felt when Neji had been attacking her chakra network. It hurt, but not in the same way something from her nerve endings would have. But still, pain is pain regardless as to what causes it or how it feels.

The only answer is that somehow the exposure to the Kyuubi's chakra had caused her chakra network to change and sprouted these new body parts. At least her ears still worked, even if now they were the equivalent to a permanent transformation jutsu. She flexed them to see if they moved like a real foxes ears would. It felt like it so she looked at them in the mirror to watch.

They moved like an actual animal's would. They could stand up tall, move almost in a complete rotation, fold down, and even seemed to work better than her normal ears did. She swore she heard a cat jump out of a trash can in the street and the footsteps of some of her downstairs neighbors.

How was she going to explain this? The whole village had been scared of her because of the Kyuubi and now she even looked like the thing now. Could life get any better? Finally she just stood there and gave herself another once over. One thing that struck her as odd was her difference in hair color. Why was her head red now but her short hairs still blonde? This whole thing made as much sense as Ero-sennin in a bikini hitting on Kakashi-sensei. Her own analogy sent a shiver down her spine and she desperately tried to wash it out with a more pleasant image. So of course her mind drifted back to Sakura.

She had no idea how to leave her apartment like this, let alone go talk to any of her friends, or teachers, or anyone for that matter. So how would she see Sakura today, or any day? Her mind raced to find an answer. Her biggest worry was that Sakura would reject her now. Now that she'd somehow seemed to have come to be like Gaara. Would Sakura just never talk to her again, would she run scared, or would she try and kill Nariku seeing her as some kind of true demon now?

She started to panic trying to figure out how to even start to approach this problem when she had a flash of genius. It might be that last one she'd ever have so she had to make it count. Her memory went back to when the dog named Pakkun had lead them to the sand ninja. When she asked Kakashi-sensei about him, he'd said that Pakkun had done lots of things for Kakashi, including delivering important messages. It was her only out. She'd summon a toad and send it to call someone to her apartment.

But who should she call? Kakashi-sensei might be the best choice, but what kind of orders did the Jonin and Anbu have about a situation like this? Sasuke probably wouldn't be of any help. What could he do for her? None of the other Genin would know how to help. She could try Shikamaru. If nothing else, he'd think it too troublesome to get upset at the sight of her like this. Then again he'd think it too troublesome to come in the first place. Even if he did, all he'd probably tell her is to go tell her team leader about it or tell the Jonin himself. Even if she argued with him over it, he'd probably talk her into it.

As she plotted who to send her message to, her first decision was to get dressed before doing anything else. As she threw her clothes on, it became apparent that her new image would lead to a wardrobe change. Her panties were incredibly uncomfortable to have under her tail. If she pulled them all the way up, they irritated her tail. If she left them at the line that suited her tail, they tried to bunch up and her tail pressed them into a wedgy. Finally she decided to not wear a pair; then hit the same problem with her pants. This time she just slit a hole in the back and treaded her tail through it. She looked herself in the mirror one more time. With clothes on it looked like a costume. That thought didn't help much.

Finally, her emotions got the better of her logic. If she was going to tell anyone first, it would be Sakura. Her reaction is about the only one she cared about. She sighed heavily, bit her thumb, and wove her hand signs hoping that her change hadn't ruined her ability to do jutsu, "Please don't be a tadpole. Kuchiyose No Jutsu!"

When the smoke cleared, an all too familiar little toad was sitting on her table, "Huh? You again? What happened to your hair," Gamakichi caught sight of her new ears, "Is this some kinda costume party thing because I'm not interested."

She felt the irritation growing in her. One good thing about these new parts was how expressive they were. Her tail swished irately at his comment and one of her ears twitched, "What do you think-tte-ba-ne?"

He seemed to have gotten the point when they moved because his eyes grew a little at their movement, "What did you do?"

"I woke up and they were there." Her eye was twitching too. She wasn't sure if this was going to work and it was her only option.

"You really are clueless aren't you?"

"Damn you-tte-ba-ne!"

"Fine. I can leave. You aren't in a fight; I see no need for me to be here. Even if this was just practice, my being here has served its purpose."

Nariku felt her ears stand on end when he said that, "NO-tte-ba-ne!" he looked at her outburst with a bit of a startled look. She blushed, "I mean, please stay and help me." She tried to ask as nicely as she could.

"Is that you being polite? What happened to you, Kid?" He looked as confused as she had when she discovered her new appendages.

She couldn't think of a way to hide the truth so she dove in head first, "Do you know what the Kyuubi is?"

"Some kinda giant fox demon if I remember right."

"It's sealed in me-tte-ba-ne."

"Yeah I remember hearin' somethin' like that."

"How do you know?" she asked justifiable startled.

"The Forth Hokage did it, and Pa worked with the Forth. So Pa told me."

"That makes sense," she started to rub her new ear; "I think this has something to do with it. I'm worried I'll eventually become something like what Gaara was-tte-ba-ne."

Gamakichi thought for a moment, "You mean that sand monster kid?"

Her ears drooped, "Yes."

"So how am I supposed to help?"

"Could you go get someone for me? I'm scared to leave my apartment right now."

"If you think you turning into that kid I don't blame you. Who did you have in mind?"

Nariku blushed, "You remember my friend I was trying to save when I summoned you the first time-tte-ba-ne?"

"You mean Pinky? What was her name again?"

"Sakura. Her. Please go get her."

"Why? Wouldn't going to get one of the village leaders be better? Or a doctor or someone?"

If Nariku didn't tell the little lily pad hoper the truth, they'd be here all morning arguing the most appropriate person to retrieve. She took a deep breath and tried to still her nerves for the first out loud confession of her feelings, "You remember when I summoned your Pa in the fight and you teased me by saying she was my 'this'," she held up her pinky to insinuate the red string of fate was tied to it.

"I think," he said with a raised whatever the thing like an eyebrow he had was.

"You were only half right," his look changed to surprise as Nariku tried to say the next part with a steady breath, "It's completely one-sided. She doesn't feel the same for me that I do for her-tte-ba-ne."

Gamakichi looked dumbfounded. Toads probably didn't have girls that fell in love with other girls. Last time Nariku heard anything about it that was exclusively human territory, "Wow! So what... what do you feel for her?"

Nariku felt her heart trying to beat out of her chest, "I… I-I-I-I… I'm in love with her." It nearly stopped when she heard herself say it out loud to a talking toad.

He was painfully silent for too long, "Ssssooooo… you want to confess and this," he motioned at her new bits, "screws you out of leaving the house so I get to tell her?"

"NO-tte-ba-ne!" Nariku screamed and slapped the table next to the little fly eater, "You can't tell her! Promise me you won't-tte-ba-ne!" Her heart was trying to jump out of her chest again, "She loves Sasuke! I'm not going to try and interfere with that-tte-ba-ne!"

Gamakichi looked like he was trying to restart his heart, "You don't have to try and swat me. I was just wonderin'. Why not tell her?"

"She's happy loving Sasuke. She has since she was… I don't know how old. I just know she's had a crush on him for forever-tte-ba-ne," she felt a tear slip from her eye despite her best effort to stop it, "She used to hate me because I nearly killed her one day when we were playing as kids. I jumped off a roof on to her playing ninja. I finally got her to forgive me of it and we're good friends now-tte-ba-ne. I'm not ready to risk it by telling her that I'm in love with her. For all I know it'll drive her away if this doesn't first-tte-ba-ne." She'd tried to stay collected as she poured her heart out, but the tears came anyway and she fell into one of her chairs, burying her head into one of her hands.

Why did her life always go from bad to worse? For every positive step she took, life drop two negatives in her lap. When she made Genin, she'd been placed on a team with Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura hated her at the time and Sasuke thought her beneath him. She'd earned their respect and then struggled to stay pace with their talent. She'd failed to protect Sasuke in the Land of Waves because of it. She'd made it to the finals of the Chûnin exam, but hadn't been advanced in rank. She'd helped save the village and earned some respect, but this threatened to throw it all away. She'd finally gotten Sakura to forgive her and be friends, but Nariku couldn't stand being merely friends but couldn't bring herself to jeopardize it by confessing those feelings.

Gamakichi placed his hand on Naruko's head in a comforting manner, "It's okay, Kid. If the secret means that much to you, I won't tell her."

Nariku looked up at his little smiling face. She didn't realize that when he wanted to be, the little guy could be really nice. She tried to dry her tears. She'd promised herself long ago that she'd stop crying, yet it felt like that was all she did lately, "Thank you, Gamakichi," she swallowed the lump in her throat. If Sakura felt even half this over Sasuke, then Nariku had no right to try and change how Sakura felt, "Now, she lives about seven blocks away-ba-ne. Look for a building with a sakura banner under a bedroom window seal on the outside," Nariku pointed in what she hoped was a straight line toward Sakura's house, "I think it's in that direction. I've never tried to find it from up here. I've only ever found it from the street-tte-ba-ne."

Gamakichi gave a nod and hopped to her window, "I'm come back as fast as I can with her."

"Just tell her it's urgent I see her and that I can't leave my apartment. As long as you keep my secret and don't embarrass me with some story you invent, say whatever it takes to get her here-tte-ba-ne." She said as she opened the window to let the toad out.

"I got it. And I'll get her." He said as he hopped out the window and toward the direction that Nariku's finger had guided.

She just sat on her bed and waited. Her tail wagged anxiously. Her tail. She looked at it and felt her ears. They were hers now, she couldn't change that. Somehow it made her really scared to be seen this way the instant Sakura walked in the door. So she pulled her covers over her head and wrapped them around her to cover as much as possible. She at least wanted to show this off after an explanation, not have to explain it after Sakura freaked out for seeing it out in the open. Now all she could do is hurry up and wait.

Every minute felt like a day. She hoped Gamakichi wouldn't come back and say he couldn't find the place. She'd only found Sakura's home out of fluke. One day she'd been walking down a street she didn't take very often and happened to see Sakura sitting at her desk by the window. Nariku had noticed that there was a banner with the flowers her secret love was named after under the window. Nariku thought it was neat that she could mark her room so eloquently, but someone else might have thought it was corny. Nariku would have punched them if they'd said anything about it. They'd had a fun conversation once Nariku got Sakura's, and admittedly probably half the neighborhood's, attention. And after Sakura pinned her in the head with a small paperweight for making so much noise over finding her friend's house. The reason Nariku couldn't remember how to get to Sakura's house from hers was because she was on her way to the Hokage's office from a book store and she'd taken that street on impulse.

Where was that toad? It had been fifteen minutes, but to Nariku it felt like a month. She had no idea how she was going to approach this. How do you say "guess what? I have a demon fox sealed in me and now it looks like it decided to remodel its new home after thirteen years of the same look." Nariku felt backed into a worse corner than the one she felt she was in when she took the written test on the Chûnin exam. But this time her convictions couldn't get her out of this. This wasn't an "I don't care about rank, I'll still be Hokage" thing, this was an "I now look like the thing the village hates me for" thing. Nariku was too familiar with hate. I took a long time to fade, and nothing to reignite.

At the half-hour mark, Nariku felt like her heart would explode from the anticipation and the uncertainty. Even if Sakura didn't reject her after this meeting, how would the rest of the village react? They seemed to be warming up to her, but it felt really flimsy right now. She'd earned some damn respect for beating Neji in-front of two villages, and stopping Gaara's rampage, but if she started to look like the Kyuubi, then all that old and slowly dying hatred might just rekindle into a flame she'd never dealt with before. She might actually become the same as Gaara. Only for her it would be worse. He'd never developed a bond; she would lose all of hers. The thought of it hurt almost more than holding in her feelings for Sakura.

Finally, after forty-five minutes, she heard what sounded like webbed feet slapping on rooftops. She watched her window to see if Gamakichi would come in that way. It sounded like he would. She listened and waited for a whole two minutes. Then finally he hopped in her window.

"Gees, you really need to learn to give better directions. I looked for a half-hour checking every building on two blocks to make sure I'd not over looked it. Then it took me ten minutes to convince her you weren't just playing a game with her. Is she really the one you want to be the first one you tell about this?"

She couldn't help but stare a little surprised at him. How far away was he for him to take two minutes to reach her window after she started to hear him coming?

"Hey! Are you okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Where is she?"

"Taking the street level path to get here."

"How long have you two been on your way here-tte-ba-ne?" she asked in a weird tone.

"Few minutes. Why?" He asked as if expecting her to do some new oddity of behavior.

"I've heard you coming for the last two minutes."

"TWO MINUTES!"

His voice sounded as if it was right next to her ear for that little outburst, "Ow, yes."

He stared confusedly at her, "Wow. Your hearing did go up. I got no idea how far away I was two minutes out, but it wasn't anywhere near close."

Then her ears tried to shoot up as she heard footsteps approaching. The stride seemed familiar "I think I hear her coming-tte-ba-ne." Now she felt her heart swell to three times its normal size and still beat fast enough to try and burst her ribs. The more she tried to calm herself down the worst it got.

"I don't hear anything."

"Yet."

"Yeah. Maybe in a minute." They waited

Nariku heard the footsteps coming closer. They started off so weak that Naruko wasn't sure that they would come closer. Then she started to hear them more clearly. After three minutes she heard them hit the lowest level of her building. She couldn't help but wag her tail a little at the thought of Sakura coming to see her. It felt good to have a moment of hope before the reality of what was about to happen set in. At that though, she pulled the sheets tighter around her head to try and pin down her ears so she could hide it for as long as possible.

"Nice ears, Kid. I didn't hear her coming until she got to the lower levels." Gamakichi said in a tone that insinuated that he would have whistled if he could. Could a toad even whistle?

Finally the moment of judgment arrived as the knock fell on her door, "Nariku? I'm coming in."

"That's fine. It's open-tte-ba-ne." Now she felt like she was trying to keep her heart from stopping. What else could it do to express her fear, she'd already hit every point between here and there.

As the door opened she felt Sakura's irritation radiating through. That was a bad sign. Now this felt nearly impossible, "I hope you know that not all of us are used to a talking toad hopping into our windows. You might want to tell the little thing to learn some better timing."

"'Little thing?' How dare you? I'll have you know that I am Gamakichi, son of the great chieftain toad Gamabunta! And one of the ones who helped save your life!" He said in an insulted tone while pointing a finger at her accusationally.

That seemed to throw some water on the fire of Sakura's anger, but not quite put it out. She took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for insulting you. Thank you for helping to save my life," she seemed to be trying to use a sincere tone, but still sounded annoyed, "but next time, at least knock or something!"

"What did you do?" Nariku asked trying to determine what had set Sakura off like this.

"When I hopped into her window, I didn't think anything of her clothes because her back was to me. But when I got her attention I realized she was in the middle of changing because her shirt was open it her front." He answered quite bluntly.

"Oh, that will about do it." Nariku knew that getting Sakura in the mood to accept the shocker was going to be hard now. She needed something to bring her down off of cloud mad. "Sakura I'm sorry for having him interrupt you, but it's urgent. I just don't know how to start-tte-ba-ne."

"How about starting with why you're hiding under your sheets like a child in the dark." She hadn't even entered to main part of Nariku's home. She was just standing in the entrance with her shoes still on. Was she that ready to leave if Nariku didn't justify why she'd been summoned?

"That's why you're here. I couldn't think of anyone else to turn to for this." Not entirely true, she was the one she wanted to tell first, "You can come in and have a seat-tte-ba-ne."

Sakura sighed. More as a way to calm down than out of irritation it seemed. _Yay. Progress-ish-ness_. She took her shoes off, walked over to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, sat down, and just stared at Nariku with about as much patience as she could muster still trying to get over Gamakichi most likely seeing her exposed bra, "Okay, I'm here. What is so important that the peeping toad would say that I needed to be the first to know?"

"Watch your mouth! You owe me," he snapped at Sakura before turning to Naruko, "If she keeps disrespecting me, Nariku, I'm leavin'."

"Please don't. I don't want to be alone for this, and you're the only other one who knows-tte-ba-yo." Her worry more apparent then she intended. She hated feeling like this. She was scared, she was hiding herself, and she was clinging to another. It didn't feel like herself. But she was potentially about to ruin her own life, was it that wrong to feel this helpless.

"Okay. I'll stay but I have to warn you that I don't have a lot of time left. I can't promise I'll be here through to the end."

"Thanks, Gamakichi." She said with a small lump in her throat.

"Who are you and what have you done with Nariku?" Sakura asked rightly lost on Nariku's behavior.

Nariku steadied herself for the hardest thing she'd ever told Sakura to date. It was so tempting to confess her feelings too, but Nariku decided to drop one bomb-tag at a time, "You know what happened thirteen years ago. The big attack on the village."

"Nariku, if you called me here for a history lesson you missed in the academy, I swear on the Hokage faces…"

"You remember that the Forth sealed the Kyuubi to save the village-tte-ba-ne?" she said fast enough to cut off Sakura hoping to grab her attention.

Sakura looked startled at the revelation, "Sealed? They said he used a Forbidden Death Jutsu to save us."

"If he did, it only half worked." Nariku's heart reversed tempo to trying to break her ribs again.

"Wait. How do you know?" Sakura asked as if she didn't know, but Nariku could tell that Sakura had already figured it out. Even though the thought of Sakura reaction at Nariku's confirmation of her suspicions scared her, Nariku couldn't help but be impressed by and envy Sakura's brain power. It made her tail want to wag, but she wasn't ready to show that.

"Well…" her lungs froze. Suddenly she couldn't make herself talk. Was she that scared to admit it? Did it really scare her to let Sakura in on the secret? Or did Sakura's unknown reaction scare her most, "I-I-I-I…" _Say it. Say it. SAY IT!_

"_You're_ the seal aren't you?" Sakura said almost sympathetically.

Nariku flinched at Sakura's revelation. She even felt her ears try to roll under her tightly pulled covers. Her heart stopped. That was the only reason she couldn't feel it right now. Her heart had stopped but she wasn't dead. She swallowed hard, "Yes. The Kyuubi is in me." She almost cried to say it. Why did it hurt to say it?

"So that's why we were raised to avoid you?" All of the pieces seemed to be clicking into place in her head. Sakura was so bright. Maybe too bright this time.

"Yes. All of the adults think that I might become the Kyuubi itself and destroy the village-tte-ba-ne." She knew it was true, why hide it.

Sakura softened her expression. It seemed as though she was trying to remember all the times she'd ever crossed paths with or heard about Nariku before they were on the same team. It seemed as if she was realizing just how alone Nariku had been all her life, "You've lived with that all your life? How?"

"Hey, Nariku. I need to go. Sorry I can't stay longer." The little toad said.

"Okay. Thank you, Gamakichi." She said as he nodded and vanished in the same poof he'd appeared in. Once he was gone, Nariku reorganized her thoughts, "I only learned about it when I stole the Scroll of Sealing." Nariku had bitter sweet memories about that night. She'd become a Kunoichi that night, but it had wounded her reputation the instant she'd become one.

"So your whole life you've never knew why…" Sakura froze as if she were questioning the way to phrase the statement, biting her lip before saying, "why most of us hated you until you graduated."

"Yes-tte-ba-ne."

"Nariku, I'm sorry that you went through so much. I never knew. I just thought that you just some wild child and… I should stop talking." She must have noticed how downcast Nariku had become, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up what must be painful for yo-" Sakura fell silent, Nariku's heart skipped five beats when Sakura started to stare at Nariku's sheets, "What is that?"

Sakura pointed at Nariku's feet. Nariku realized she'd started to wag her tail from the thought that Sakura truly caring. It had managed to thump its way out in the open. She screeched and threw her hand over it to cover it; in the process she yanked the sheets off of her head and showed off her new ears.

When she felt them spring up on her head, she panicked and tried to cover them too, managing to throw her covers off of her in the process. She looked at Sakura's stunned expression at Nariku's exposed new form. Finally, her panic bested her and she screamed, "NO! NO NO NO NO! DON'T LOOK! I WASN'T READY TO SHOW YOU THESE-TTE-BA-NE!" She covered herself as best she could and pressed herself as far into her corner away from Sakura. It was over now. She'd never be able to explain this and Sakura was probably about to run for the door now that she'd seen them just as soon as she'd learned about the Kyuubi. She closed her watering eyes and waited for the inevitable screech or slamming door. But they never came. Instead she felt something join her on the bed and a hand laid itself on her head.

* * *

My first cliffhanger. Don't I just suck? Muse is getting her goodies though so let's see how long the next one takes me to churn out. I hold myself to no schedule, so please be patient.

Obligatory plea for reviews and comments.


	4. What Friends Are For

MY BUSINEEEESSSS… IS DONE! I am free. School's out for winter *imitates guitar solo*. I am done with college for the Christmas break! I cannot express the magnitude of my exuberant, exhilarated, excitement.

I hope you all enjoy the new chapter.

I do need to make a note. I gave you all fair warning in chapter one that I would use the "-tte-ba-ne" tic. So I'll make this short, if you agree with Soul Painted Black and find that it gets old fast and annoying faster but think the story is good, you have two options: let the story's quality outweigh your irritation with "tte-ba-ne", or quit reading. I told you when this started that I would use it, and that isn't changing.

So I will warn you again: if you find the "tte-ba-ne/tte-ba-yo" tic annoying, you might not want to read this fanfiction. To double that warning, I noticed that the real Naruto starts to get real bad with it when he's flustered, annoyed, angry, or worried. So with Nariku in a true life crisis, she's going to be getting to a point that she uses it very frequently.

So with that unpleasantry out of the way: I don't own "Naruto" or any of the affiliated characters or settings.

I would make a statement about obeying the Iron Fist, but it rusted from the number of times it's been chewed on so I had send it to be buffed and polished to knock the rust off. Please read anyway.

* * *

**Chapter 4: What Friends Are For.**

Sakura had never known that Nariku had shouldered so much out of necessity. Now she had this problem to deal with. What had happened to her to cause this? Nariku had worked so hard to earn everyone's respect, now she must feel like it all went out the window.

Sakura didn't know what to say or do. She just knew she wanted to help her friend. Give any comfort she could. As she crawled onto the bed she tried to think of anything that would mean anything to Nariku right now. As her mind sifted through all their shared experiences, she couldn't find anything that could compare to this. Nariku must have felt like her life was over now that she looked like the thing they all feared.

Finally, she merely placed a hand on her head, smiled at her and said, "It'll be okay, Nariku. I don't know how yet, but I'll help you through this. We can find away to make this right." She really hoped she could live up to those words, because Nariku's face seemed to be resisting the hope trying to express itself.

"Do you mean it? You're not scared of me now-tte-ba-ne?" She sounded so desperate to believe it. It must be hard for Nariku to think that something like this will allow her to keep friends, especially after she'd dealt with it being the bane of her existence for her whole life.

"Yes. We're comrades now. I honestly don't know what to do to help, but let's approach this one step at a time." She almost suffocated when Nariku hugged her. She was happy to see Nariku recover so quickly, but she was running out of air, "Nari… gan't breaf."

Nariku let her go, still a little teary eyed, "I'm sorry. I just don't know how to thank you-tte-ba-ne. I'm still scared. If this had happened a year ago, I'd have been lynched-tte-ba-ne."

"I don't think the Third would have let that happen." Sakura knew that without the Third that this was going to be hard to sweep under the rug. She was trying to come up with some kind of plan to explain why she looked like this. Nariku's ears and tail somehow looked good on her this way, maybe they could write it off as a new look. Then there was the fact her hair was now a reddish carrot top. Now Nariku looked like some kind of girlish puppy. Maybe they could fake it as some kind of Kekkei Genkai or that she was tied to the Inuzukas. Either way, her new look was cute.

"What do we do with him gone-tte-ba-ne?" Nariku looked like she was at a loss for ideas.

"I've been thinking on that," it didn't mean she had an answer, "maybe we should tell some more people. People we trust to help."

It seemed to bother Nariku to say it, no wander considering their rivalry, but Nariku said, "I guess we should tell Sasuke. He is our teammate."

"Yes, and he's really smart. Maybe he can come up with something." For some reason she hadn't swooned like she normally did when she doted on Sasuke-kun. This really wasn't the time and Nariku already knew it all anyway, that must be the reason.

"I don't know if I'm ready to tell Kakashi-sensei-ba-ne." Nariku seemed pretty skittish to even mention it. She must not trust the older shinobi right now, "I did think about telling Shikamaru."

"Him! Why?" Shikamaru? That was a curve ball.

"He and I usually get along well enough-tte-ba-ne. We also had to stare down Gaara together at the hospital, so if anyone would be able to plead my case in favor of 'I'm not the Kyuubi' he'd be it-tte-ba-ne. Besides, if he doesn't want to help, he'll just find it too troublesome to tell anyone." She almost made Sakura laugh at the face she made to impersonate Shikamaru's signature complaint.

"Well, if you think you want to tell him, I'll find him too."

"I think that's a good idea. Sasuke's smart, but it seems to serve him best on missions. I don't know if this is something he'd be able to help use solve this one. Shikamaru on the other hand is an expert escape artist. Do you know how many ways he used to come up with to avoid doing what he was supposed to at the academy-tte-ba-ne?" Nariku sounded impressed with him.

Sakura gave a coy grin she had to have picked up from Ino, "Oh is that so? Sounds like you might think a little more of Shikamaru then just old classmates and friends." To hear herself say it _sounded_ like she'd been influenced by Ino.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE-TTE-BA-NE!" Nariku blushed, "I mean… I'm just speaking from experience-tte-ba-ne. Nothing more."

"Okay." Sakura said in a singsong voice, "I'll get Sasuke-kun; then we can decide on whether or not to bring Shikamaru in on this." She said as she made her way to the door. The frustrated look on Nariku's face was so cute. She really needed to show her cute side more often. She might actually get a fair fan base of boys if she did.

Sakura threw her shoes on quickly and set out to go find Sasuke-kun. If she was lucky, he'd be at a training ground and easy to find.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Great! Now not only did Sakura love Sasuke, but she thought that Nariku had a crush on Shikamaru. Just let the lynch mob come and get it over with. Now what would she do? Sakura's compassion had felt so good. It made her heart hurt to think it only went friend deep.

Why couldn't she make herself say something? It wasn't hard. Just say, "I know how you feel about Sasuke and I'm not trying to change that. I just can't stop myself from telling you that I've fallen in love with you."

Then she remembered how she locked up trying to confess that the Kyuubi was in her. It wouldn't be that simple even if she tried. Then the idea of Sakura pushing her away because of it made her not want to say anything even more. Living with pain she was use to. The idea of being pushed out by Sakura made her lonely in a way she never wanted to feel for real.

Somehow, in only twenty minutes, Sakura had come back with Sasuke, who looked a little ragged. He was still wearing the black shorts jump suit thing he'd warn at the Chûnin exam, "Damn. You do have new parts."

Why he didn't seem surprised was beyond Nariku, "Yes I do. Now what are you going to point out, Captain Obvious-tte-ba-ne?" Sasuke had an impossible talent for bringing out her normal personality no matter how she felt.

"How 'bout 'you're still a dumbass'?" he said with that nerve grinding smirk.

"Damn you, you bastard."

"Keep talking, loser."

"Idiot-tte-ba-ne! YOU WANNA GO? I'LL GO, SMARTASS-TTE-BA-NE!"

Sasuke looked at her with an excited look, "If you want to start a fight, I'll give it to you. I don't care what you look like." He had said that she was one of the ones he'd wanted to fight in the Chûnin exam.

"ENOUGH! Knock it off you two." Sakura commanded. Nariku had jumped a little at that one. Even Sasuke had a startled look on his face, "Nariku, stay calm!" she turned to him and in a much calmer voice asked, "Sasuke-kun, please sit down so we can talk about what we're going to do about Nariku's new body."

Why had he gotten a 'please'? She always gave him favor. At least give the one whose life might just permanently be ruined some kind of a courtesy, "Sakura, did you tell him anything?"

"No. I just convinced him to come."

"She's right. She said you'd grown fox ears and a tail. So I had to see it for myself. If you ask me, you look like a cat. Especially with the way your fur is standing on end. You look like an ally stray about to fight." How did he keep finding ways to piss Nariku off? Is that all he did with his free time, or was he a genius at that too?

"Nariku, we're all on the same team. You need to tell him the same story you told me." Sakura seemed to be acting as a mediator to keep things on tract.

Nariku sighed and decided to tell both of them everything she knew or suspected about her current state. She started with when Mizuki had told her her own secret, how the scroll may have lead to the power leak, the time it showed itself in the fight with Haku, and how Ero-sennin had taught her to control it. She even included the part about getting thrown off a cliff. Then she talked about her encounter with Gaara at the hospital. She finished the story with recent events straight from her perspective, leaving out the more personal details. When she was done, they both looked very somber. Sakura seemed to be trying to absorb it all and Sasuke looked deep in concentration. "So how do you purpose we break the news to the world-tte-ba-ne?"

"If I were to do anything about it, I'd say tell Kakashi and probably the guy who's been teaching you for the last month." Sasuke said with that same concentrating look. When he was actually trying to help her, she could see why looks like that had gotten him such a huge fan-girl squad.

"What about bringing in Shikamaru?" Nariku offered, "If nothing else, he'll be able to tell use if I seem like Gaara in this form-tte-ba-ne."

Sasuke look at as if he was considering it when Sakura spoke, "I agree Sasuke-kun. Nariku and Gaara are a lot alike. If Shikamaru can prove that she isn't turning into her demon, then it might be worth it."

He sighed, "I have no opinion of him so if she wants to call him then fine. What I want to know is why little Ms. Self-dependent is coming to us for help?"

"Hey! My life's experience tells me that in this situation I should dig a hole, cover it with a rock, and hide there, praying the death-squad doesn't find me-tte-ba-ne!" her ear was twitching in aggravation, "and besides, I thought we were a team. Teammates help each other no matter what-tte-ba-ne! We learned that on day one."

"That's why I'm even sitting here, dumbass."

"You're an expert at annoying me. You know that-tte-ba-ne?"

"Who cares?"

"Sasuke-kun, please. Stop for now. I'll go get Shikamaru to help." Sakura started to leave when Sasuke stopped her.

"_I'll_ go. I think I'd be better a persuading him to play along." He stood up and walked to the door. Neither of them objected. They were too dumbfounded to try.

Once he was gone, Nariku couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy again. She'd be alone with Sakura for a short time anyway. Even if all they did was sitting in awkward silence, she'd be happy.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Shikamaru was wandering around the village for something to do. It was a slow day and his appointment as Chûnin hadn't been made official because of the absents of a Hokage. What a drag. Not as much as boredom though.

Just when he'd decided to go home, he heard the Uchiha voice behind him, "Hey, Nara. Nariku needs to see you."

_How troublesome_, "Tell her I'm busy. Since when are you a messenger?"

"Do you care?"

"Not really."

"Then don't ask. She said that it has something to do with the shared experience you two had with Gaara of the Desert."

That was something that Shikamaru tried not to remember, "The way you say that, it sounds like something pervy."

"So says _your_ mind. Now come on, numbass. She's stuck in her house." Sasuke walked past him and grabbed the collar of Shikamaru's shirt.

"Hey now! Wait! If she's bed ridden or something I don't want to get it."

"Shut up and come on. You're needed. I doubt you had anything better to do today."

He had a point. With nothing to really counter argue with, Shikamaru just let himself be lead to Nariku's house. This was such a drag.

-^-v-^-v^-

Nariku had talked a simple conversation about how they would tell Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin about this mess when her door flew open and in walked Sasuke _dragging_ Shikamaru! That was his persuasion? Just yank the guy on a leash. Though, seeing as he was on a team with Ino, he'd probably gotten use to it.

Shikamaru took one look at Nariku and said, "Oh good grief. Don't tell me that the Forth sealed the Kyuubi inside you instead of just killing the damn thing."

He had figured it out at one glance; he was the only one to make Chûnin from their year; and he was the biggest slacker in the whole village. THAT WAS COMPLETELY UNFAIR! How did this lump on a log get the brains of five people in his skull? Life really was completely unfair.

No sense hiding this sort of thing from the only guy who could figure it out from just one glance, though, "Yes-tte-ba-ne. Now help me out. I don't want to get killed because I just got a new look."

"This is voluntary?" he asked with a confused look.

Her ear twitched, "No! I literally just woke up this way-ba-ne."

"Do you know how?" he seemed to have asked it obligatorily

"No. Look, we faced Gaara in the hospital together. Do I seem to be turning the same as him?" She was more scared to ask then she sounded.

He gave a dismissive wave, "Not even close. He radiated bloodlust. You could see the monster in his eyes. Changes aside, you still look like you."

Of all things, Sasuke chimed in, "He has a point. I faced him too. That thing he turned into. He was practically that thing to begin with. You're the same old dumbass loser with new body parts."

Nariku's hairs stood on end, but Shikamaru's eyes just rolled to look at Sasuke, "If you want to put it that way, then yes," he looked at Sakura, "This happen often?"

She sighed, "Every time we're in twelve feet of each other."

"You two really have bad for each other don't you? You sure this isn't a secret lover's quarrel?" Shikamaru said in what seemed to be an attempt to tease.

Before they both had a chance to give him death glares, Sakura had whomped him good on the head, "HELL NO THEY AREN'T! Say it again and I'll throw you out that window!"

"OW! Damn it you're as bad as Ino! You sure you're not the one with the demon in you?" She took another step toward him and he backed up, "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! What a troublesome drag." He regained his composure, "So now what?"

"We were going to see if Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin could be of any help-tte-ba-ne." Nariku explained.

"Who the hell is 'Ero-sennin'?" Shikamaru looked like he thought she had lost her mind.

"Oh," she was trying to remember the name Ero-sennin had used for himself, "he used a lot of names on himself. I remember he shamelessly admits to being a mega-pervert," they all seemed to lose faith that he would be of any help to them, "Oh. He called himself things like 'toad sage' and 'one of the three sannin'. What was his name?" Naruko missed the looks of aw that crossed Shikamaru's and Sakura's faces at the mention of 'sannin', "Jiraiya! Jiraiya was his name-tte-ba-ne!" She wagged her tail in pride for remembering Ero-sennin's real name. She might never use it again.

"You were taught by Jiraiya himself?" Sakura exclaimed.

"What's the big deal-tte-ba-ne? He's good, but he's just a mega-perv at heart."

"He's supposed to be as strong as Orochimaru. They were even on the same team as students." Shikamaru added. They all looked at him with "how do you know" written on their faces. "Asuma-sensei told me. Okay? Turn off the suspicion."

"So do you think they will be of any help?" Sasuke asked to try and get things back on track.

"If Jiraiya-sama is willing to help, it would be the best chance we have. He'll carry the most clout." Sakura said with a look of concentration.

"Good luck finding him. He wanders like a stray cat. The best place to start would be to find spots perfect for peeping on the woman's bath at the osen. He calls it 'research' like that excuses it-tte-ba-ne." Nariku couldn't help but feel a little annoyed with him.

"You're kidding." Shikamaru was not amused.

"Nope!" Nariku kinda felt nice being the expert on something for once, "So why don't you boys go and get them, and I can talk to Sakura about girl stuff." Nariku started pushing them toward her door.

"Why am I being run off?" Sasuke asked with an irritated look at being manhandled.

"Because you're teacher's pet with Kakashi-sensei." Nariku replied with some ire of her own. Sasuke always got special treatment.

"What are you two going to talk about?" Shikamaru asked.

"Girl stuff means no boys. Out. Go fetch-tte-ba-ne."

She got them out her door and closed it behind them. She heard Sasuke cuss at her from behind the door, but she ignored it. She looked at Sakura and tried to find something that would justify getting the two of them alone, "So you think that this will work?" Her old fears showing, but not conquering.

"Jiraiya-sama may very well become the next Hokage. If anyone will help sweep this under the rug, he'd be it." Sakura tried to reassure her.

"It's hard for me to believe. The whole time I tried to master Kuchiyose No Jutsu all he did was peep on girls in bikinis playing in the river. In fact I could only steal his attention with my Sexy Jutsu-tte-ba-ne." The truth was the truth. Why hide it from Sakura. Then again, if Nariku took that to heart, she'd confess right on the spot, and she wasn't ready to do that.

Sakura looked a little taken back at the idea that a legend could be reduced to human proportions like that, "Well even with short comings, he's well respected in the village. He should be able to help." She almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that now.

Nariku smiled softly at how funny it was to see someone come to realize the truth of Ero-sennin, but she actually had girl stuff to talk to Sakura about. She took a deep breath and in the steadiest voice she could use right now she asked, "Sakura, do you know of any shops that make special order panties-tte-ba-ne?"

Sakura looked at her with that "where'd that come from" look, "What do you need such a place like that for? You're too young to think about wearing something special under your cloths knowing someone will see it." She sounded like she was accusing Nariku of planning some wild fling with a guy. Seeing as she thought she had a crush on Shikamaru, that might not be a stretch.

"It's not like that," she looked at her tail, "If, I mean _big_ if, but if this blows over and things go back to normal. I need something to make room for this thing." She wagged her tail for emphasis. She blushed hard at the thought of the next statement. She felt like she was trying to seduce Sakura even though she knew she wasn't, "I'm not wearing a pair right now-tte-ba-ne."

Sakura looked stunned, "You what?"

Nariku blushed harder, "They're all really uncomfortable now. The tail gets in the way. Do you think you can help?"

Sakura gave Nariku's dilemma some hard thought, "_If_ there is a store like that, they'll only cater to grown women. Places like that usually are for making alluring stuff for grown women, not girls our age."

Nariku's ears drooped, "That's true. I'm also assuming that this _actually_ blows over. Right now I feel like I'm trapped in my own apartment. Like I'm under house arrest or something-tte-ba-ne." She was starting to feel depressed again.

Sakura surprised Nariku by reaching out and holding her neck. She pulled Nariku over to her and tapped their foreheads together, "One step at a time. I'll help you with your wardrobe later, but first let's get passed getting you out of your house and breaking your new look to the village. I get the feeling things will be fine. Don't let yourself worry."

Sakura had a point. It was rare that Sasuke was so willing to do Nariku any favors. And Shikamaru just slipping into the mechanism of their team to help, it made her feel the most optimistic she'd felt all day. To add to it, she was in kissing distance of Sakura's lips. She knew she wouldn't, but it felt good to get that close, "Thank you, Sakura. You being here for me means more than you can ever know-tte-ba-yo."

Sakura just giggled at her new found enthusiasm and gave her a friend hug. For the rest of the time they waited, they just sat and talked about how things might change and what they would do to help Nariku adapt to her new parts if things stayed the same.

* * *

I hope you all liked it. I like the way this one turned out, I'm quite proud. I hope to get some reviews for this one, but I'll be happy if folks just like it. Now that I'm done with this soul-sucking semester, I should be more in the mood to make my work. Muse stopped hiding and now I feel more creative. She seriously hated my design teacher to the point that she hid from me. Now that it's over and I've talked to a more relevant to my interest college degree plan, Muse is back with vengeance.

I might be more creative now and updating more often, but I don't keep a schedule. Hope your all enjoying it so far. Come back for more.


	5. What's the Theory

I'm back! It's been a week of good happenings. My best-friend is back from Korea for the first time in two years and the Army is stationing him in the States this next go-around. So my good mood has made Muse feel like doing her job and I churned out one long-heck chapter. 19 pages in Microsoft word at 12-point font. So I broke it into two different chapters and decided to post them at once. I know, same difference, but it doesn't seem as daunting a read if it's shorter.

I hope you all like this little double post, but please don't get spoilt on it. I don't do this kind of thing often. This is just a rare level of good time in my life. That guy is like a brother to me and with the way my family "adopts" my closest friends, he might as well be.

Lastly, in just one weeks time, give or take a few hours, maybe a day, I have received 9 story alerts for this story just from the posting of Ch 4. THANK YOU ALL! I haven't had a response like that yet. In the two week between Ch. 1& 2 I got 16. 16 in two weeks, and 9 in just one this time. I'd say that beats the record. Thank you all who have favorited my story, me as an author, set up a story alert, or written me a review. I really appreciate it all. Do please review more. I like hearing from my readers (he he, I have reader, that means fans. That is new for me).

I must now say "I don't own 'Naruto', any of its character or settings, or any legal rights to the franchise." I am so broke right now because of that.

P.S. MY IROOOOOON FIIIIIISSST… HAS RETURNED! And now obey it and read *duck tapes AncientKyuubi's mouth shut so she can't bite the fist* Please enjoy the story.

* * *

**Chapter 5: What's the Theory?**

How had he gotten wrangled into a human fetch game? He could of just blown this whole thing off, but he'd somehow become friends with Nariku so it'd be wrong to abandon her. As lazy as he was, he'd never abandon a friend for any reason. So as troublesome as it was, he needed to find Jiraiya.

When Nariku had shoved them out the door, Sasuke told Shikamaru to go find Jiraiya. After he got done cussing out her door. When Shikamaru asked why it was his job, Sasuke said he knew where to find Kakashi. Shikamaru couldn't argue with that nor did he want to, but Sasuke could be bossy if he wanted to. How troublesome.

As he skimmed over the town trying to find the Sannin, he found himself at a loss as to where to start. He really didn't know where to look. Sure she said look in all the places that would be good for peeping on the women's bath, but he never thought about that kind of thing. Even if he wanted to try, it was more trouble than what it was worth if he got caught. He would see it someday and that's all he needed to know right now.

So there he was standing on the top of one of the electric poles looking at the bathhouse building trying to get into the mind set of someone who _wants_ to peep in, when he saw an old man with a telescope pointed in the direction of the building. If that wasn't him, then this would turn more troublesome then it really was worth.

As he approached the man, it started to look close to what one might expect out of a man who called himself a sage. It would have been nice of Nariku to have given him a description first. This guy had mane of long white hair that looked like what Nariku's might would at that length, his clothes were of an older style, and he had a big scroll on his back that looked like it should be in the Hokage's office. Finally, Shikamaru decided to just announce his presence and see how the old man reacted, "Hey. What are you doing?"

The old man never even looked away from his telescope, "It's research; you wouldn't understand young man. So leave me alone."

There's that word "research". This had to be him, "So you're the guy Nariku calls 'Ero-sennin'. Are you-"

He shot to his feet and turned to Shikamaru with a wrathful glair, "She called me WHAT? It's bad enough that she calls me that to my face, but now she spreading it to her friends too?" Note to self: Never use "Ero-sennin" again.

"Sorry. Sorry. Okay? Jiraiya-sama, right?" Shikamaru wanted to stay on this man's good side. If this guy was as strong as his reputation suggested, he'd be the next Hokage. It'd be a real drag to get on the Hokage's bad side as a first impression.

"At least you have some respect. But at girl's attitude has gotten under my skin for the last time!" He started looking all around with his telescope, presumably trying to find Nariku's apartment. "Ah there she is!" he put his telescope away and took off in the direction of her apartment, "You're gonna learn some respect now you little brat!"

"Wait a minute, Jiraiya-sama. She needs your help…" too late. He was a man on a mission now. Shikamaru just took up a pursuit. How troublesome.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Sasuke was the first to get back with Kakashi-sensei in tow. She was right to send Sasuke out to get him. The two were more similar then Sasuke would ever want to admit. At least this time Sasuke had gotten him to use the door.

"So. You're scared of the village now?" Kakashi asked her in the same bored tone as always. Did this guy ever get more excited than that? No, probably not.

"You know my life, Kakashi-sensei. What do you think-tte-ba-ne?" For a genius, he could ask the dumbest questions.

Kakashi didn't have time to answer her question because her window flew open and a very loud mouth self-proclaimed toad sage barged in screaming, "YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAAAAAT! I TOLD A HUNDRED TIMES TO STOP USING THAT DEGRADING NICKNAME FOR ME AND NOW YOU'RE TELLING IT TO YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS! YOU LITTLE TWEEEEERRRP!"

"You're too damn noisy-tte-ba-ne! You know that Ero-" She didn't have a chance to finish her thought because he thwacked her over head and picked her up by the collar of her jacket. She actually felt like a puppy being picked up by the scruff of its neck.

He hoisted her up to his eye level and glared daggers at her, "You know nothing of respect, do you? I taught you how to control that red chakra of yours and how to summon a familiar, and even after all of that you still won't drop that stupid, disrespectful nickname? You really are an idiot."

Her eye and new ear twitched simultaneously with irritation at him, "I stop using it when you stop peeping on the women's bath, _Ero-sennin_." By this time, Shikamaru had climbed in the window too to join them. Nariku turned to him and just to drive home her point asked, "Shikamaru, were did you find Ero-sennin?" The old man looked ready to burst a vessel.

"On some rooftop with a telescope pointed at the bathhouse. He called it research." Nariku wasn't going to complain about Shikamaru's unusual compliance. She just turned her head to the old-man and gave him a "take that" look.

Before he could erupt, Kakashi cleared his throat and got everyone's attention, "May I point out the fact she seems to have started to change in a way that makes it look like the Kyuubi is taking over and that we should be concerned about it?"

Ero-sennin seemed to calm down and dropped Nariku, literally, "You have a point. The Forth never left anything that might suggest this might happen. In fact, I don't even understand what I'm looking at."

Nariku had picked herself up off of the ground, which she'd hit face first, and glared at him, "What don't you get you old perv?"

"First, why don't you tell me how these things feel?" He kneeled down and started tweaking her ears.

For some reason she felt like it might feel good if she weren't so irritated, or if it wasn't him, "Like you're tweaking them. What do you think-tte-ba-ne?"

He twisted one to try and break her attitude. She of course started to "ow" many times but heard him say, "I mean 'what sensations do you feel with them?' Do they feel real or are they something you can't explain?" he let go after the interrogation.

She rubbed them a little as if it would stop the weird feeling in them. It wasn't quite pain, but it still would be described as hurt. Glaring at him with watery eyes she said, "They're sensitive to begin with, and they aren't flesh and blood if that's what you meant."

He seemed to be contemplating now, "So what are they?"

She'd stood up and tried to just give him the facts, "If I had to guess, it's like a permanent transformation jutsu but more real. I can feel with them and they work just like my real ears would, but they hear much better. My tail is the same-tte-ba-ne. It's like a new physical body part, but it's not flesh and blood either. They feel like solid chakra. To hit it feels like when Neji attacked my chakra network. There was pain from it, but not like 'my nerves felt it' pain-tte-ba-ne." _Please make sense to you. You're all I got to help blow this over._

Kakashi looked at the old man deep in thought, "I may have a few theories on what happened, but I want to hear your thoughts first."

He took a deep breath and seemed to be resigning himself to some kind of fate, "My best guess is that somehow the released Kyuubi chakra has permanently bleed into her chakra network and has forced a change to better suit the flow that is natural for it."

"So you're saying that it changed her chakra network to accommodate itself and caused the ears and tail of the Kyuubi to appear on her body as a result?" Kakashi looked like he understood and was looking for confirmation.

Ero-sennin nodded, "Yes. Those are solid masses of chakra like she said. They are there because her chakra network is flowing in that shape now and this is how we see it."

Nariku interrupted the adults talking about her as if she weren't there but were analyzing her so closely, "So does that mean these are just the new energy of my body making itself to home and this is how it looks?" Ero-sennin nodded, "Then why do they even feel fuzzy to my touch? I feel fur with my hands-tte-ba-ne."

Kakashi seemed to want to field this one, "Many transformation jutsus make you look like something or someone else, but the highest quality ones make you even feel like the thing you turn into as well. If you can even have its texture, you sell the illusion that much more."

"So this falls in that category?" This lesson was making her brain hurt. She's already had to process too much today and she still wasn't done yet.

"Pretty much." Ero-sennin said in a "there you have it" way.

Through out most of this, her friends had stayed quiet. Sakura looked like she was at the academy again, listening as if she were going to be graded on this later. At least it made her look worried to hear that the Kyuubi chakra had permanently changed Nariku. Sasuke didn't seem to care much going in any direction. He might have been a little worried about her well being, but he'd never show it. Shikamaru actually looked startled to hear about the chakra leak. He must have thought that the seal had weakened and that Ero-sennin would be able to redo it somehow. Now that it seemed to be a permanent part of her body, he looked worried she would go the path of Gaara.

Though he seemed worried for her not about her, "So you can't reseal her or something to fix this?"

The old man sighed, "No. This is permanent. I mean full symbiosis. Even if we redo the seal back to its original strength, this change wouldn't be reversed."

She looked at her friends. They seemed to take that news almost as hard as Nariku did. Even Sasuke showed signs of having an "oh crap" face in response to the comment. Nariku looked at Sakura, hoping that she'd be able to still see her now that this couldn't be changed.

Shikamaru continued whatever line of thought he was on, "So do you think she'll go as crazy as that guy, Gaara?"

"There's a good chance of it if this starts to get worse," Ero-sennin could have sounded a little more sympathetic right now.

The image that crossed her mind frightened her. She saw herself feeling as angry as she was before she had friends, being held in place by one of Shikamaru's shadow freezing jutsus, Sasuke charging her with a shoot-to-kill chidori, and a giant fingered fox paw growing from her arm pinning Sakura to a wall trying to crush her. The last part scared her most as she glanced at Sakura.

Shikamaru seemed to give Nariku a very serious once over as if he were thinking about what was said, "I don't believe it," Kakashi and Ero-sennin looked taken back by the pineapple headed teen's unusually bold comment. He just looked at them with conviction, "Look, I was on the receiving in of that nut jobs murderous intent. I even witnessed him kill two guys who wanted to assassinate him without even flinching. You could taste his bloodlust in the air. Even if more Kyuubi chakra leaks into Nariku's system and changes her more, I don't believe she'll ever get as bad as Gaara was."

"I agree," said Sasuke of all people, "I fought that guy just before he started to change. There was just something unnaturally murderous about him. Nariku may be a loser and a dumbass, but she's no monster."

Sakura stood up and spoke with the same conviction as the other two "I saw it too. When Sasuke was hurt and Gaara tried to kill him, I got in his way and I'll vouch for his bloodlust. He just wanted to kill us all to make himself feel better. Nariku would _never_ do that."

Despite the less than kind choice of words Sasuke used, Nariku was moved by her friends' compassion. She never thought that she'd ever met people that would defend her this way. She liked how it felt, especially Sakura's sincerity. Nariku just kept glancing at her and smiling with a slight tail wag.

Kakashi looked at the three defenders of Nariku. Somehow when he wasn't looking, Nariku had picked up three truly devoted comrades. He was happy for her because she was going to need them if this went poorly, "Well, Jiraiya-sama, it would seem we have all the witnesses we need to defend Nariku's honor when we tell the elders about this."

Ero-sennin smiled at all of them, "I hope you kids are ready for this because the way you plead your case will determine if your friend here can have a normal life despite of her new look. Can you handle that responsibility?" he asked with almost the same look he'd used when he pushed her off the cliff.

They all looked at each other then nodded and let Shikamaru talk for them, "We know it's serious, but we won't let her fall into that state of existence."

Ero-sennin grinned at them, "Very good answer. In that case, we should leave now." He said turning to Kakashi.

He nodded, "We need to address this as quickly as possible. This would be better left to a Hokage decision, but…" he smiled at Nariku through his mask, "we can't leave Nariku cooped up in her house until the new one is appointed."

Shikamaru looked at her for a moment, and then glanced in everyone else's direction, "Could you guys go ahead of me? I need to ask Nariku something in private." _Damn you to hell, Nara! You're just adding fuel to Sakura's misconception fire._

Sakura looked at them for a moment and then with an Ino-like grin and tone said, "Okay, but be quick." She tried to rush everyone out as Nariku just nervously grinned at her waving good-bye. She must have thought that Nariku must be the luckiest girl right now for getting to be alone with Shikamaru at his request. Sakura gave one last wink before she stepped out the door. _I hate being right about this sort of thing._

When the door shut she sighed and hung her head in disappointment. Now Sakura felt even farther away. She'd never be able to tell her how she felt even if she wanted to try.

Shikamaru looked at the door for a moment before pulling out a pack of Pocky out of his pocket and putting a stick of it in his mouth in a way that looked like he'd one day take up smoking. After he bit the tip off he turned to Nariku and said, "Sakura seems to have let her time with Ino affect her."

Nariku sighed, she just wanted to end this "private time" as quickly as possible, "How so-tte-ba-yo?"

"She seems to think something is going on between me and you. I thought she was the smart girl in your group. How has she not seen that you like her yet?" He said with the same deadpan speech pattern he always used.

Nariku felt her ears ignite and her cheeks change colors at the comment, "What makes you say that-tte-ba-ne?" She knew she was busted.

"You don't hide it well," he said taking another Pocky in his mouth, Choji rubbed off on him more than he thought, "You look at her the way Sakura and Ino look at Sasuke. You didn't strike me as the type though. Then again I never thought about it. So I guess I didn't have an opinion. Plus, your tail wags when you look at her"

She was ashamed of herself for being so obvious, but she was even more hurt that Sakura hadn't noticed, "Please don't tell her-tte-ba-ne. I'm not ready to risk her pushing me away from her because I'm a weirdo who fell in love with another girl. Just being close is enough for me-tte-ba-ne." She didn't believe herself.

He didn't either, "Sorry to break this to you, Nariku, but we've all thought you were weird since we all met you. You being in love with another girl might just be par for your course as far as some of us are concerned." Somehow that didn't make her feel better, "I promise I won't tell. Dealing with you after I did would be too troublesome anyway. And even if you tell her, her feelings for Sasuke are your biggest obstacle."

"I know. That's the part that hurts the worst. Have you ever felt that-tte-ba-ne?" She knew the answer but she asked anyway.

"Nope. But you'll figure it out. You'll survive. You have this long dealing with a lot of pain." He smiled at her, "If you promise not to be troublesome about it, I'll be someone you can talk to about it. But that might just complicate things."

She smiled back at him, "Thanks, Shikamaru. Having someone to talk to about it might be what I need right now-tte-ba-ne."

His face returned to the normal bored look it always had, "Don't expect me to be of much help. I know nothing of this crap, but I can try a little." He started toward her door then turned back to her and looked her in the eyes, "one more thing. You need to learn to control those new things of yours, they're too expressive. They give your emotions away. Remember 'a shinobi never shows emotion under any circumstance'."

"I know. I'll get it eventually-tte-ba-ne." She said with her ears drooped. He walked out the door and left her alone to ponder her fate.

* * *

Ch. 6 coming right up.


	6. Three Bowls of Ramen

Here's the next one. Not much has changed in the minutes it took me to post this one.

I don't own "Naruto" or anything related to it.

AncientKyuubi promised not to bite my Iron Fist so I took the duck tape off. Now please obey the fist and read my chapter. Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Three Bowls of Ramen**

Shikamaru caught up with them fast enough, so he must not have said much to Nariku . Sakura wandered what he had to say but decided that right now it would be best to focus on the fact that they were trying to defend Nariku's honor so that she could have her life back after her change. It was amazing to her that she was traveling with Jiraiya-sama. Despite the fact that he lived up to Nariku's description of him, he was one of the three great Sannin. She'd have never thought that she'd meet someone of his reputation. Hopefully he could help Nariku out of her new mess.

"Say, Jiraiya-sama?" a thought had crossed her mind.

"Yes, what is it… what was your name again?"

"Sakura. Who exactly are we going to talk to about this?" There were a few people who they could be going to see, but Sakura thought she knew who it would be. She just wanted to be sure.

"We're going to see Old Man Homura and Mistress Koharu. For now they will be the best one to break this too."

That was saying something to be going to see the Chief Counselors for this. Of course without a Hokage, they did have the most authority. They were the ones who would set up the new governing body in the absents of a Hokage, and they spoke directly to the leaders of the Land of Fire on the villages behalf.

"So what exactly _are_ we going to tell them?" Shikamaru asked. It was a good question. This was hardly a normal situation by any standard.

"The truth." Jiraiya-sama's answer was bunt and to the point.

"What's that? That she woke up with new ears and a tail and that we have no idea how it happened other than to theorize that she is assimilating with the Kyuubi in her?" Sasuke seemed to doubt Jiraiya-sama's credentials.

"Pretty much. What's really important is that you three convince them that she's that same knucklehead she ever was and it's okay for her to be left to her normal life." Now Sakura was starting to doubt him. That answer was too simple. What could they say to sway someone of their position if they didn't believe it?

"You know, Jiraiya-sama, you kinda make me think of what Nariku will be like at your age. You two seem kinda similar." Shikamaru said. Jiraiya-sama glared at him at that comment, it made Sakura and Kakashi-sensei chuckle lightly. He seemed to let it go after that.

A shadow caught Sakura's eye, but when she tried to look at its source, it had vanished. She thought she'd seen a man in a hood looking at them from one of the roof tops. But she couldn't be sure if he was really there or if she'd just imagined it.

"What's up?" Sasuke-kun asked her.

"I thought I saw someone up there." She said very simply. Strange, she normally felt giddy at any attention Sasuke-kun paid her. This time she just felt normal. Was she growing so accustomed to him talking to her as a teammate that she was getting over the fan-girl giggle of having him just talk to her? She still felt the same for him, so that must be it.

"I didn't see anyone." He said looking at the spot she was dwelling on.

"Me either." Said Shikamaru. He was no surprise though, he probably wasn't paying much attention to anything.

"Maybe it was just a bird at a weird angle. Because I didn't see it either." Kakashi-sensei suggested.

"Nor did I. For now, let's focus on the knucklehead's dilemma." Jiraiya-sama said.

"I guess you're right." Sakura was sure she wasn't seeing things. The more she thought about what she saw, the more it looked like a hooded man watching them. He seemed to be focused on Sasuke-kun if she'd seen him right.

They arrived at Hokage's tower fast enough. The whole way, Sakura had been trying to think of a way to plead the case for Nariku's normalcy. She couldn't think of anything to say. Everything she came up with sounded like a weak argument in her head. She was starting to feel useless again.

Jiraiya-sama led them to an office and knocked on the door pretty hard, "You two at home? I have news you need to hear right now."

"Come in Jiraiya." He opened the door and led them in, "We need to discuss something with you too. Why have you brought so many people with you?"

"That's why I get to go first. There has been a new… Hi, Danzo." Jiraiya-sama addressed a man in similar robs as the counselors, with his right eye covered and his right arm hidden completely in his robe. He looked close to the same age as the Third.

"Jiraiya. How long do you plan to stay in the village this time?" the man named Danzo ask with a subtle hint of hostility.

"Who knows? Thought maybe I'd check out the hot springs I heard about in the town in the west part of the country. Sound like good research." He replied with a certain amount of distaste in his voice. Whoever Danzo was, Jiraiya-sama and he didn't get along.

"What is it you were saying Jiraiya?" Mistress Koharu asked to get their focus back.

"It can wait until you finish your business with Danzo." Jiraiya-sama didn't seem willing to talk about Nariku in front of Danzo, which is the only reason that Sakura didn't raise a protest at the delay.

"If you have news, I'm sure you can say it in front of me." Danzo insisted.

"He is right. He was on the elder counsel. Now tell us the news that requires you to have Kakashi and his team in tow," Lord Homura said, "Wait, where is Nariku, and why is Shikamaru with you?"

Jiraiya-sama growled a little at being forced to tell this in front of Danzo, which worried Sakura, but he did anyway, "She's why I'm here. There's been a 'development' with her."

"What do you mean?" Danzo ordered. This man seemed to think he should have more authority than he did. Was he here to try and convince them to elect him Hokage?

"To put it bluntly, she grew fox ears and a tail." No subtlety at all.

"WHAT! Is this one of your jokes?" Mistress Koharu asked.

"Would I be here if it was?" Kakashi-sensei interjected.

"So what has happened?" Lord Homura seemed to be descending into a deep concentration on what they were saying.

"The best theory I have is that some of the Kyuubi chakra has assimilated into her chakra network and changed it to reflect the physical flow it is accustomed to." Jiraiya-sama scratched the back of his head. He seemed on guard with Danzo in the room.

"If you are right, this means we need to quarantine her immediately!" Danzo said with quite a bit of urgency, "If the Kyuubi is starting to come out in her, we must put her under a constant and strict guard."

"Now, now, no need to jump to the worst case scenario. This change seems to be purely cosmetic. Not my first choice, but then again, I'm not a giant angry fox spirit." Jiraiya said mostly to annoy Danzo it seemed.

"I may have to agree with Danzo on this one, Jiraiya." Lord Homura said.

Sakura was terrified at the idea that they were seriously thinking about throwing Nariku in some kind of jail just for being what she was. She almost hated the Forth Hokage right now for having sealed that thing into Nariku.

"YOU CAN"T!" she heard herself scream before she could stop it. Everyone in the room turned to her in shock. This kind of outburst was uncharacteristic of her and the one who didn't know her must have thought it rude. She didn't care, "you can't lock Nariku up like some wild animal! It's not her fault that she's been changed like this!" Sakura realized she was short of breath.

"Young lady, I realize you're probably attached to Nariku because you're her teammate, but if this is a threat, then we need to nip it in the bud." Danzo said to her.

"Are you worried she'll turn out like the kid from Sunagakure? Gaara of the Desert?" Shikamaru interjected.

"That is a distinct possibility we must prevent." Danzo answered him.

"Forgive me for being a dumbass kid, but who are you exactly, Danzo?" Shikamaru was up to something.

"He was the leader of the Anbu black-ops training divisions." Lord Homura answered.

"Then please tell me something." Where was Shikamaru going with this?

"What, child?"

"Why are you, someone smart enough to direct all Anbu training, such a damn dumbass?" DID SHIKAMARU REALLY JUST SAY THAT!

Sakura never expected _that_ out of Shikamaru. This was the guy who never even said much just to avoid the risk of an argument. Now he was practically picking a fight.

"WATCH YOUR MOUNTH!" Now Danzo was mad.

"You really think that ramen sucking little ball of hyper is going to go off the deep end and turn into a monster like Gaara was?"

"I won't let that happen." Danzo said with that "authority" again.

"Go through with your plan and you'll create what you're trying to prevent."

"Explain." Lady Koharu said.

"When I visited Nariku in the hospital before the finals of the Chûnin exam, we came across Gaara trying to kill Rock Lee in his bed," all three elders were shocked to hear it, "He said that he wanted to kill him only for the sake of killing him. It's honestly something I try not to remember, but you need to know. Gaara seemed to have been raised as nothing more than a weapon. In fact, his dad had been trying to have him killed for the past six years."

Even Sakura was shocked to hear that. What kind of father does that to their child?

Shikamaru seemed to be willing to provide the answer, "They seem to think that he is a relic that needs to disappear, so he's been alone for most of his life. Like a lot of people, he asked himself why he was here and what he needed to do in life. Me, I plan on having a normal shinobi career, getting married, having two kids, then retiring to play shogi or go. His solution was to live only for himself and love only himself. His method to confirm his existence is to kill any other human being he feels like."

Homura and Koharu seemed to be taking all of this in. They must have been wandering what to do with this knowledge.

"Just how do you know this, Shikamaru?" Lord Homura asked.

"He was more than happy to tell us just before he tried to confirm his existence on _us_. If Guy-sensei hadn't shown up, I don't know what would have happened."

"Why would this be the outcome of quarantining Nariku?" Lord Homura asked.

"She's been shunned by the village for most of her life because of that thing in her. What makes you think that isolating her more will fix anything? She's strong enough to control that thing. I'm sure of it."

"This isn't about her state of mind. This is about her seal failing and letting the Kyuubi be resurrected." Danzo intertjected, "If it has slipped enough to let this kind of thing happen, then who knows when it will fail all together and free the Kyuubi."

Sasuke-kun didn't seem to want to stay quiet any longer, "If you're worried that she'll turn into the Kyuubi like Gaara turned into that sand monster, then I agree with Shikamaru. I fought him as he was turning into that thing. He _let_ it do that. His seal must not have been very strong to begin with. If it took thirteen years for Nariku to show these signs of the Kyuubi she is. She'll be in her 80s before the thing you fear happens."

Danzo looked at Sasuke-kun with a heavy gaze. He seemed to have taken Sasuke-kun's challenge very personally, "I doubt _you_ would understand anything of it, Uchiha."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sasuke-kun took a step forward, but Kakashi-sensei placed his hand on his shoulder to stop him. Sasuke-kun glared at him, but Kakashi just shook his head at him and it seemed to be enough to dissuade him for now.

Lord Homura said, "We need to consider whether or not her seal is slipping. If it truly is going at an alarming rate, then we will need to quarantine her. If this is only a slow leak then she can continue for a short time with her normal life, but regardless of what happens in the future, we need to put her under an Anbu watch until she can be properly exami-"

"SHUT UP!" Sakura could listen to this anymore, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! She's not a wild animal or some lab experiment! Nariku's a human being!" Her mind flooded with the images of Nariku's loneliness she'd witnessed. The way she watched the kids leave when their parents would pick them up. The time she'd meet her in the bathhouse and the pain that was in her eyes even then. Sakura just hadn't let herself see it at the time, but even the smile when she'd left was so obviously hollow, just a mask to hide the hurt she'd felt.

"None of you get how much pain she's felt from being alone for so long. None of you saw the fear in her eyes when she accidently showed me her new parts for the first time. She's a strong girl who is willing to endure anything to become Hokage. She's stood up to things that should have killed her and still walked away. She faced Orochimaru without even flinching, even if it was just because of ignorance. Nariku has a strong heart, endless determination, and little fear!

"When she asked me to her apartment this morning, I saw that strong girl hiding under her bed sheets like a scared child. I could see the fear in her eyes when she tried to tell me she had the Kyuubi in her. I watched that strong girl accidently expose herself to me and hide in the corner more terrified of _me_ then she thought I would be terrified of _her_! I've never seen her cry the whole time I've known, and that was nearly that worst I've ever seen anyone cry in my life! Her greatest fear is that you people will do the very thing that you're planning on doing! IT'S NOT FAIR TO HER!"

Sakura had started to cry by now. How could the very people who were supposed to take care of _all_ of them even think of Nariku as nothing more than the Kyuubi sealed in her instead of the kunoichi, the human, she was? Kakashi knelt down next to her and rubbed her back a little. When she looked at him, he had the same concern on his face she had.

Jiraiya-sama hadn't said anything since Shikamaru had started to argue with Danzo, but now he seemed to have something to say, "You know the Forth Hokage was a student of mine long ago. I remember him well. If he'd have been my son, I'd have never stopped bragging about him. He was a man who loved this village with his whole heart. When he sealed the Kyuubi into Nariku, he knew it wasn't fair to her, but he did it to save the village. I know his greatest hope was that she be seen as a hero for having been forced to shoulder this burden before she was even old enough to be asked permission.

"But all I've seen out of this village is a fear and hatred of her that is unfitting her sacrifice. And to think you of all people would help to perpetuate it. I know the Forth Hokage is rolling in his grave watching the way you're all treating her."

There was a look in his eyes that seemed to reflect the sentiment he was projecting onto the Forth. It was a strong and kind of intimidating look. It honestly made Sakura believe that despite the flaws in his personality, he was the right person to be made the Fifth Hokage.

"I was the Forth's student. I remember how he fought for this village and I agree with Jiraiya-sama. He must be ashamed of us for having let her be treated the way she has. I'm just glad she found at least one person who would treat her the way she deserved. I might need to go talk to Iruka after this." Kakashi-sensei had stood back up and was looking as sternly at the elders as Jiraiya-sama.

Homura and Koharu seemed very deep in thought. Even Danzo seemed backed into a corner. They had all of them defending Nariku's freedom, and the thought of the Forth Hokage's wish as presented by his teacher and student.

"This is a lot to take in. For now, we need to decide the best course of action. Danzo, we'll finish our discussion with you later." Lady Koharu said. Danzo began to raise a protest, but was greeted with a, "I said 'later'. This takes priority."

He stood there for a moment looking insulted. Then he bowed and walked to the door. On his way out he gave all of them a nasty look. For some reason he gave Sasuke-kun and Jiraiya-sama the worst ones.

Once he was gone, Lord Homura said, "As I mentioned when you walked in. We have business to discuss with you."

"I don't remember the word 'business', but go ahead."

"The rest of you may leave."

"If my business could be discussed in front of Danzo, your business can be discussed in front of them." He sounded like he knew what they were going to say anyway.

"Right now, Konohagakure's strength is at a frightful low. Under these circumstances, our number one priority must be to anticipate and prepare for any further crises."

"We don't know when or if any of our neighbors will make a bold move, therefore until the village has restored its strength, we have decided to gather the top ninja from each cell and assemble an emergency executive council to handle the situation," Lady Koharu said.

"haah. I'm going to be busy for a while." Kakashi-sensei said with a down-cast look on his face. He looked tired already.

"But first." She continued, "We need a strong, trustworthy leader." They were both giving Jiraiya-sama a very serious look. He didn't seem very happy about the situation, or interested in what they were offering.

"At the present time, there are seeds of trouble scattered all about. Orochimaru isn't our only problem."

Lord Homura seemed to want to speak, "Understand this… one fundamental policy we cannot ignore: We need our Fifth Hokage as soon as possible."

Lady Koharu spoke again, "and so yesterday, in an emergency meeting with the ruler of the Land of Fire. Jiraiya, it was decided that it would be you."

"No thanks. I'm not suited for that kind of job." Jiraiya-sama didn't even hesitate to answer them.

"The decision has already been made. Besides, if _you, _touted as one of the three great shinobi of Konoha legend, are not suited for it then who is?" Lord Homura asked.

"If it's one of the three great shinobi you're after, there's one other to pick from," both of them looked at him questioningly, "Tsunade."

"But we don't even know her whereabouts. " Lady Koharu raised a protest.

"Don't worry about that. I know how to hunt her down. Just give me two days to prepare. I'll write a letter to the village to help Nariku get her life back. Then I want her to come with me on this trip."

"Are you sure that the letter will work?" Sakura was worried that it was too convenient a solution and might not work.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. It's not my usual work but I am an author. I can make it work." Jiraiya said rubbing her head.

"We haven't made a decision about that." Lady Koharu spoke up.

"Let's say I made your decision for you. If you think I could be Hokage then just treat that as an order until the sharp and go-getting Tsunade comes home." He was walking toward the door as he talked. They all followed him.

"Fine. For now, we'll follow you're wisdom." Lord Homura said as the door closed behind them.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Nariku was starting to worry. They'd been gone for a long time. This whole experience was almost too much. What started at roughly nine A.M. was now starting to run close to two P.M. She'd not eaten since she'd woken up. Yet she wasn't hungry, she couldn't think about her stomach with her life on the line.

She couldn't help but feel a little numb. This whole thing was so heavy. She almost wanted to try and summon Gamakichi again just to not be alone, but she could never summon the same toad twice. The fact she'd gotten Gamakichi again was a pure fluke. Now all she could do was wait and see if she was going to be free or… she didn't want to think about what _that_ would be like.

As she let herself fall deeper into thought, her door started to rattle, "Nariku, hey, Nariku. Are you home?"

Her ears shot straight up as stiff as they could. He was one of the last people she wanted to find out about this. What could she do? She could just ignore it and wait until he left, but she felt he deserved to know. But he had lost his parents to the Kyuubi. Then again he had said that he knew that Nariku wasn't the Kyuubi and that he believed in her. She didn't look like this at the time though. Finally, her attachment to him got the better of her and she decided she should have called him too; the least she could do is tell him the truth.

"Just a minute. I need to put something on-tte-ba-ne." She shouted to Iruka-sensei on the other side of the door. She was still wearing clothes; she just wanted to cover her new parts so she could tell him on her terms. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of her confession to Sakura. She pulled a blanket off of her bed and wrapped it around her head and body and called him in.

"I thought I'd come visit you at home for once… What are you doing this time?" He froze in her door way and just stared at her odd appearance.

"Well there's something I need to show you, but I want to keep it a secret until I tell you something-tte-ba-ne," the same freeze up she had with Sakura was coming back.

"Okay. You're still acting odd," he chuckled as he came in and sat at her table, "what's the big secret?"

She wasn't sure why, but she was trying to not cry again, "Well…" She bit her lip and forced herself to tell him what she woke up to, "there's been a development with the Kyuubi-tte-ba-ne."

He looked worried the instant she mentioned it, "What happened. What is it?"

"I woke up to something strange. I'm real worried now-tte-ba-ne. But Kakashi-sensei, Ero-sennin, Sakura, Sasuke, and Shikamaru are trying to take care of the problem. I just want to live the rest of my life as normal as possible, but this feels like this'll wreak everything-tte-ba-ne." Tears were in her eyes again. Her fear hadn't really subsided and she was more scared of the future then of her confession right now.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Iruka-sensei asked standing up with concern on his face.

"I keep remembering what Mizuki said about the village never accepting me-tte-ba-ne. It just scares me to even think to leave my home right now. I'll be honest; I'm scared to even show you. I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei-ba-ne." She was crying now. She really didn't want him to see it.

She felt Iruka-sensei's hand fall on her shoulders, she looked up at his eyes. He was smiling down at her with a caring and comforting look, "Nariku, you'll always be you to me. Please don't be scared of me." He squeezed her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"Okay." She felt a little better remembering how much he'd been there for her over the years, even if it didn't seem as much as she'd wanted. She stepped back from him and let her sheet drop to the floor. As she felt the ears spring up on her head and her tail swing out, she felt even more naked then she would if she's just let all of her clothes fall off.

She heard him gasp. It wasn't that surprising, but it didn't help her to feel better. As she felt her ears fold down in disappointment, but he knelt down and took her shoulders again.

"Do you think you know what happened?"

"No. I woke up this way-ba-ne. I don't know what happened." She wasn't feeling a whole lot better, but at least he hadn't frozen like Sakura had. That had hurt.

"Don't worry, Nariku. I don't know what I can do, but I won't let you deal with it alone. I'm here for you when you need me." His face couldn't be more sincere. He had the same look that he'd had when he'd given her his headband.

She felt the same feeling that she'd felt that day as well. He was looking at her with the most caring look she'd ever been shown. She was moved by how much he cared. She felt herself start to cry again and she threw herself on him and wrapped her arms around his neck as tight as she could.

"Nariku, you're cutting off my—GWACK—" he struggled against her grip.

She hopped off of him quickly, "Sorry. I'm just glad you're not scared of me now-tte-ba-ne. I'm sorry I didn't think to tell you when I was thinking of people to help me-tte-ba-ne."

"It's okay. You've not seen me in a while and I'm still only a Chûnin. I'm not sure what clout I could have carried anyway." He said trying to comfort her.

"But I even called Shikamaru just because he knew what it's like to look Gaara in the eyes. He's not even officially a Chûnin and is famous for being a slacker-tte-ba-ne." She tried to argue with him for some reason.

"I remember that well. And if memory serves, you were just as bad about trying to skip out on your lessons." He said in that old teacher's tone she was use to with one of his eyebrows cocked in a knowing way.

"HEY! I tried as hard as I could. It's not my fault if the lessons were boring and made no sense-tte-ba-ne."

"They would have made more sense if you were present more often."

She just puffed her cheeks at him in irritation. Until her stomach growled very irately and started to hurt enough to remind her that she hadn't eaten today. She blushed at the involuntary noise, but all Iruka-sensei did was laugh at the sound of her gut.

"When did you eat today?"

"I haven't yet. I've been preoccupied with concern for my future-tte-ba-ne." She said with a red face and a second noise coming from her gut.

He sighed with a smile, "How 'bout I go out and bring you back some Ichiraku take out."

"REALLY!" her tail started to wag the fastest it had the whole time it had existed. She almost felt like she was going to start flying from its speed.

"Sure thing," He rubbed her ears, "Just tell me which flavor you want tonight."

Her stomach growled again, she felt hungrier than she'd felt in a long time, "How much are you willing to treat-tte-ba-ne?" she asked skittishly, she didn't want to impose on his generosity, but she was starving.

"I think," he looked like he was concentrating on how much money he had to spare, "I think I could swing three bowls for you."

"THANK YOU, IRUKA-SENSE-BA-NE!"

"Calm down and tell me what kind you want."

She was thinking of what sounded good today. She didn't realize her tail could move so much, "I think a Pork, Miso, and Salt ramen sound good for now." It felt good to smile like this again.

"Okay, I'll go to get it. You just stay here and wait." He rubbed her ears again. Nariku was right, when she was in a good mood, getting them rubbed felt good. He pulled his shoes back on and said he'd be back soon as it was done and left her to wait for her lunch. At least she felt the best she'd felt all day.

It didn't take him long to come back, and he looked a little over-encumbered with the bowls of ramen he was carrying. He sat them down on her table and started to pull them out and set hers down in front of her.

"Thank you so much, Iruka-sensei-ba-ne." She was enjoying this so much. She always loved to eat with Iruka-sensei. He always was so much fun to talk to when they shared a meal. And this time she had plenty to tell him about. She'd not had much chance to tell him about her experience in the Chûnin exam, and she knew that he couldn't make it because of his job as a teacher. They just sat and chatted through all the bowls she had to eat, her tail wagging the whole time. She was so happy right now; this must be what it felt like to have a dad.

* * *

And that makes two posts in one day. I hope I didn't get anyone's hopes up for this to be common. I hope y'all review my story. Thanks to all who have been keeping up with the story, and welcome all who are new as of this post. But we ain't done yet! Stick around for more to come in.


	7. The Snap

Another week, another chapter. I'm feeling good right now. Things are about to get interesting. I hope you all like the route the story is about to take. So here is the new arc to the story.

And to DemosJones, I hope it's what I made you think it will be. For me to read it, I feel like it wouldn't be as impressive as I made it sound. But that's next chapter and I'm my own worst critic.

By now you should all know that I don't own "Naruto" or any of the related properties, but these things are obligatory, I don't wanna get sued.

P.S. This chapter is AncientKyuubi endorsed (It's her favorite).

Now if you will please: OBEY MY IRON FIST, and please read.

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Snap**

There was a time, not even an hour long, when a demon descended onto our village. In the fight with it, many of us lost many things dear to us, and some were lucky enough not to lose anything. In that fight, my student, and our beloved leader, the Forth Hokage lost his life. In the process of giving his life and saving our own, he was forced to make a difficult decision, that decision led him to seal the demon into an innocent child who had only just been born.

He did it for the good of us all, but knew how unfair it was to the child. He knew it would make their life incredibly lonely and difficult, but to protect the village he loved so dearly, he took that risk and lost his life in the process. I know what kind of man he was, he never wanted to sacrifice the child, but something that night forced his hand.

I also know that the he hoped that the child would be seen as a hero for the fact that they were used in such a way before they were even old enough to be asked permission. But instead we have shown them fear and hatred. We have been incapable of seeing them as nothing more than the vessel our destruction is contained in. But that child does not deserve it.

By now you've all figured out that I'm writing about Nariku Uzumaki. I've heard of, and watched some of, this girl's growth. I've supervised the most resent portion of her training and see that she has a long ways to go in terms of technical skill, but she has more guts and heart than some of even the best ninja I've ever seen. She has grown into a truly splendid shinobi who has done more than her fair share to protect this village and has truly inherited the Will of Fire that we all strive to possess. She has become worthy of the legacy of heroism the Forth left her, especially after her performance during the most recent attack on our village. We truly owe her our thanks, for more things than one.

Now, Nariku has suffered a change due to her containment of the Kyuubi. Its presence has created a physical change in her, bringing out an appearance similar to the fox demon itself. My greatest concern is that the lingering hatred will cloud our minds to the fact that this is a human being, not the demon inside her body. She is a true shinobi of Konaha, the hero the Forth hoped she'd be, and I hope someday she will be a great leader in this village.

From,  
The Toad Sage, Jiraiya

Or at least that's what she'd read in the letters after they got back from fetching Tsunade. She'd been trapped in her house for the day after the fox parts appeared as well. It wasn't that bad, she just trained harder than normal on the thing she could indoors. Until Ero-sennin came over and told her he was leaving the village to find someone and invited her to come along and learn a new jutsu. The Rasengan had been worth it. Now she was training in a new way, trying to not be so expressive with her new ears and tail. This time Shikamaru was the one being troublesome.

"Okay, and then what happened?"

"She sicked the damn dog on me-tte-ba-ne! What-"

"Ear!"

His idea was that if she was forced to retell some stories that were unnerving or annoying or even painful to remember, her ears and tail would fidget the most from it and he would call her out on every little movement she made with them until she got the hang of forcing them to hold still. It was slow progress. She didn't like to talk about this sort of thing for a reason, but he'd made a good point about her flinching ear habit and she _had_ volunteered for this. Didn't make it less irritating.

"So what did it do?" _damn your persistence Nara_, "EARS AND TAIL!" she just growled at him, "You're really slow at picking up on that twitch aren't you?"

"Go to Hell-tte-ba-ne! I'm trying! These things are so new that I don't have a lot of control over them yet-tte-ba-ne!"

"Ears! Try harder. How long did you say it took you to learn that A-class jutsu?" he'd learned how to poke in just the right spots to raise her ire quickly.

"I got the third stage mastered in a week." She knew that it was the point he was trying to prove, but he was starting to cross some lines.

"Tail! So if you could get that down that fast, why is this giving you trouble? Ears!" She didn't know what he'd pull out next, but she didn't like the direction this was going.

"Can we quit for today? I'm sick of bringing up the worst of my past-tte-ba-ne."

He sighed hard, "I know you think I'm just being a jerk, but I actually believe that you could get the hang of this in about three days."

She was taken aback by that comment. She'd never heard someone so openly indorse her abilities. Even though he'd said it in that same bored tone he always talked in. It made her believe that he'd really become her friend.

"Maybe we should switch to something that is just as hard for you to talk about."

"What?" _Don't go where I think you're going._

"How'd you fall for Sakura?" _Damn you, Shikamaru._

"I don-"

"Ears!"

"Shut up! I don't know-tte-ba-ne!"

"Try and think. Tail!"

"I don't know!"

"Ears!"

"Shut up-tte-ba-ne!"

He sighed, "Do you really want to quit?" he seemed to be apologetic for having pushed the issue.

Nariku felt her ears fold down as she thought about what she wanted to do. She really did need to develop a poker-face with her ears and tail. But to talk about how she felt about Sakura was hard. She'd never even admitted it to Shikamaru; he'd just annoyingly riddled it out for himself.

"Give me a minute," she sat down on one of the rocks near-by and steadied her ears and tail as much as she could. She tried to focus on all the times she'd ever been with Sakura. It was hard to hold everything still.

"Are you actually going through with this?" Shikamaru asked with a concerned look on his face.

"I don't want to, but it may be the only way to get a handle on this." She took a deep breath, "Go ahead-tte-ba-ne."

"So," he shrugged, "How do you feel about her?"

"I-"

"Ears!"

She straightened them, "I fell in love with her." She'd never said it out loud to another human being.

"When did –tail— it happen?"

"I'm not sure-tte-ba-ne."

"Ears! Think on it."

She tried to think about what had led her to feel the way she did for Sakura. She felt real guilty about the game of ninja that had led Sakura to hate her. That had caused her to dwell on her a lot throughout her life. She'd been glad when she'd heard about being put on the same team as Sakura, but that had been shattered when she'd tried to offer lunch to Sakura and got it thrown back in her face.

"Well-"

"Ears!"

_Shut up!_ "You remember that game of ninja when I jumped on her?"

"If that is when it started, I don't think I would want to be your boyfriend when you decided to show affection."

"Shut up-tte-ba-ne!"

"You actually didn't move them that time. Good job, but it's only a start."

"I know. That caused me to feel bad about her, but I could never get her to let me talk to her about it. So when we got put on the same team I-"

"Ears!"

"Grrrrr. I was happy about it. It gave me a chance to get close enough to try and earn her forgiveness."

"Your ear's twitching. So how did that led to your 'love' for her?"

"I do love her."

"From all of what I've heard, you're just obsessed. Not really in love as I understand it." Shikamaru had an understanding of love? How? He didn't seem the type. Especially with his opinion of women.

"No! It's more than that! I really…" She knew her ears folded down this time. She'd never been asked to justify her feelings. She'd only ever let them grow. But what if he was right? She couldn't only be obsessed…could she?

"How about this. When was the first time you knew you felt the way you do for her? And watch the ears."

"I don't know you well enough to go into the details about that." No way she'd tell him about the first Sakura fantasy she had.

"Really? Is it that bad? What did you do, see her in the shower and fall in love with her body or something?" That comment made everything fluff up like a scared cat. Now she had to find a way to convince him that it wasn't the source of her feelings. "Watch the out bursts of hackles. Am I actually right?"

"No-tte-ba-ne! It's true she and I have been in the bathhouse together, but that isn't why I love her!" She tried to catch her breath and decided to use the near fake kiss as a start point, "The first time I realized it, I was disguised as Sasuke to try and figure out what his fangirls saw in him. Sakura was the most readily available because I knew where she was. I asked her opinion of me to start the conversation off and she gave the Sasuke/me the answer I would have expected, but then she opened up to him/me and in that moment, I saw her vulnerable side." She felt herself blush. She still remembered well that near kiss.

"Soooo, what brought on these emotions to beguine with? Ears."

"I don't know."

"Something must have caused –I said ears— it. So what then?"

"I don't know! I'm trying to think of it-tte-ba-ne!"

"How about what you like about her. You're losing focus on your ears, but your tail seems fine."

She tried to steady her ears, but splitting her concentration wasn't easy, "Well I've tried to get close to her ever since I hurt her, but she always pushed me away so I had to watch from afar and try to come up with new ways to get her attention enough to apologize. The whole time I watched her get better at so many things. She's so smart, and her hair was so pretty and silky looking. I miss that length and sheen. And her smile is just," Nariku sighed smiled herself at the thought of it.

"She's filled out better than I have and just plain looks more like a woman than I do. She was always better at kunai throwing, basic jutsus, and all that book work than I was. I just admired her for it and wanted to be friends if we could. Then I ruined that on that day." She felt her ears fold down and waited for him to call her on it.

He sighed, "Hold your ears up. I was wrong." She looked at him with surprise, "I'll be damned if I get it, but you really are in love with Sakura."

"What?" Her ears stood up straight and tall.

"You're more girly about it, but you sounded like my dad describing what he likes about my battle-axe mom. If he hasn't changed his mind about her after all these years with that, then I guess your feelings are as real as his." He stood up and dusted his pants off, "I think we can call it a day on this one. I've crossed a line that has distracted you in a way that I can't fix. So I'll see you later. Though you might want to tell her soon."

"Is it that obvious how much it hurts to hold it in?"

"Well, I see it but I know about it. So I'm probably the wrong one to ask. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. No worse than usual-tte-ba-ne." She smiled at him. She didn't know when he started to care, but she was glad to have him as a friend.

"I'll believe you. You did a good job holding those ears still at the end." And with that he started to walk away.

As he left, she just sat there and thought about her dilemma. She'd been holding her feeling back for nearly nine months now, she might not be able to take anymore. But she knew that she didn't stand a chance against Sasuke in Sakura's heart. Sakura just wasn't the type to like another girl that way.

She decided to go for a walk to see if it would help clear her head. As she wandered around, her mind kept drifting to Sakura. She thought of all the times that Sakura had been nice to her, how they'd grown close as teammates, and even become friends. She loved it but just wanted more. She kept drifting back to the near kiss when she'd been hiding herself as Sasuke. That always made her heart skip.

The walk failed to clear her head like she'd hoped. All that had really come of it was a new case of heartbreak. How much longer could she stand not at least putting her feeling before Sakura and letting her decide what to do with it. How much more could rejection that was anticipated hurt than the total unknown of not trying?

Her chest was starting to hurt from the whole thing and she decided to duck into a back street to stay out of sight. She almost couldn't take it anymore. She felt like her heart was trying to stop just from the sheer weight of her feelings. She knew it was pointless to try and tell Sakura, but how much longer could she keep it to herself?

Just as her crisis of the heart was reaching its zenith, Fate decided to screw with her and a familiar voice rang in her ears, "Nariku! What are you doing here?" Chimed Sakura's beautiful voice. "Are you okay? You look a little sick."

How was she going to respond to this? Her feelings were at their limit and she hadn't gotten her control back. Now the reason she was having an emotional meltdown was standing right next to her and she wasn't in the mood to restrain herself. But it would be a mistake to show her feelings right now. But how much did she really care?

"I'm fine. Just a little tired is all. I've been training with Shikamaru. He's more of a slave driver than you'd expect of a slacker like him. It's surprising to see him show any effort." She left out the fact it was just self-control practice on her part and that he didn't have to move a muscle.

"Really?" Sakura got that devilish grin again. Nariku knew what that meant, "You two seem to be hanging out a lot lately. Is training _really_ all you do?"

_Damn it, Sakura! There's nothing between us. It's me to you! Why can't you see that! _"There's nothing there. Would you please stop teasing me with it?"

"You know the more you fight it the more you look guilty of it." She said giggling.

"IT'S NOTING BUT FRIENDSHIP-TTE-BA-NE! THAT'S IT!" She hadn't meant to snap like that.

"Easy, Nariku. I'm sorry okay. Why'd you snap at me like that?" Sakura seemed insulted by the outburst. Nariku couldn't blame her, but she was running out of restrain.

"I'm sorry. I just don't like rumors about me spreading. I didn't mean to snap at you. It was uncalled for." Nariku noticed that she'd been clutching her jacket over her heart. Did she hurt so much she didn't realize she'd gone numb?

"I'll say. Are you sure you're okay? You don't look well at all. Should I take you home or to a doctor?" She really looked worried. How bad did Nariku look? She'd stopped feeling.

Her heart still hurt though. She just wanted to say it right there but she just couldn't let herself. Or could she? She looked Sakura in the eyes, those beautiful light-green eyes. Her heart started to beat as hard as it could, her palms started to sweat, her lungs tensed up like they wanted to quit working. She was sick, but a doctor and bed rest wouldn't help. So, once again in a lapse of judgment, she decided to commit to telling Sakura her secret.

"Okay, Sakura, I'm not fine-tte-ba-ne." She was horrified to hear herself saying what she knew she was going to say. She was trying to stop herself the whole way, but the pain of restraint was too much to bear anymore.

Sakura place a hand on Nariku's shoulder, "What's wrong? You're clutching your chest. What did you do?"

"Nothing. It's nothing. I've just been hiding something from you for a little too long." She felt a tear slip out of her eye and she turned her head away from Sakura.

"Was there a complication with the Kyuubi chakra? Is it poisoning you?" She sounded so worried. If Nariku had actually been sick, she would have been touched. But how bad did she look for Sakura to jump to that conclusion?

"No! No! No! Nothing like that. I just need to tell you something important." This was getting harder and harder.

"What do you need to say?" Sakura froze for a moment, "Are you crying?" She seemed to be the most concerned for her that she'd ever been.

"Please just listen." She was getting impatient with this. She felt something in her trying to make her stop talking, but she couldn't contain it any longer and keep her sanity.

"I think you might—"

Nariku took a step away from Sakura and in a panic, "I'm trying to say I LOVE YOU, DAMN IT!" She scared herself with that outburst, and Sakura looked dumbfounded. Nariku's tears were flowing freely now, "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to steal you from Sasuke, or change your feelings. I just needed you to know. Please don't hate me now."

Sakura didn't talk for far too long, "Nariku? Is this a joke?" She seemed to be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she seemed unnerved by the comment.

"No it's not. I've felt this way for a while now. I know you won't return it, but I couldn't hold it in any longer." She was starting to hurt again.

Sakura seemed to believe her, but was scared to accept it, "You're confused, Nariku. I'm sure if you just calm-down and think straight for a moment, you'll see it's just something simpler than that." It was nice of her not to go off on her. She was trying to help Nariku the way she thought she should, but it wasn't helping.

"Sakura, I'm not confused. I know it's real. I'm not trying to sway your feelings. I just need you to understand how I feel." She was starting to feel desperate to convince Sakura she wasn't making it up.

"Calm down, Nariku. Let's just ta—mmph—"

Nariku couldn't hold back anymore. Words wouldn't get the message across, so in desperation she went for the only thing she could to prove it definitively. In one motion, she reached out, grabbed Sakura's shoulder, turned so they faced each other, and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

She held her there for as long as she could stand it. She caught Sakura half way through a word so both their mouths were open when their lips met. Nariku tried to convey every feeling she had into the kiss. She was begging that Sakura would understand. One hand stayed on her shoulder, the other went around Sakura's waist as she pulled them as close together as she could. Nariku's tears fell as hard as they could as she tried to make this kiss count for everything it was worth. All she wanted was for Sakura to truly understand.

Finally, she broke it off. She needed to breathe. When she pulled off, Sakura just stood there, stunned. Nariku knew the instant she saw the look on Sakura's face that she'd made the biggest mistake she could have. She felt her guilt wash over her as Sakura just stared through her, lost as to how to react after her friend's kiss.

Nariku knew it was a mistake to make such a bold move. Why had she acted on that impulse? She never should have done that. She never should have made such the brazen move. _Sakura, why won't you make a move? Why won't you say anything?_ Finally Nariku's anxiety and guilt for having made such a move got the better of her and she ran off with tears streaming harder than she thought possible, leaving Sakura in her daze.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Shikamaru had decided to take a walk around the village to find something to do for the rest of the day. He had taken some roads he didn't normally take to try and learn more of the map of the village. It was a drag, but it was something they expected from him as a Chûnin. One street caught his attention for some reason, so he wandered toward it. As he did, Nariku came flying out of it with her head down, her eyes watering worse then he'd ever seen, and nearly knocking him over in the process without even noticing him.

Something rubbed him the wrong way about this situation and it told him to check what was down this little street. When he got there, he saw Sakura standing still as a post. He approached her slowly and looked at her close. She was in shock over something. With Nariku's quick exit, there was only one real thing that could have happened, but he had to ask to be sure.

"Hey, Sakura. You okay."

"I don't know." That was the most dazed he'd ever seen her.

"Nariku just almost bowled me over running out of here. What happened?"

Sakura was just standing there, completely out of it. She didn't move, or even blink much. She just mouthed a few words that started to arouse Shikamaru's concern until finally a sentence slipped out.

"She kissed me." Sakura said at barely a whisper.

"Damn it all! She finally went through with it!" he turned and ran out of the street as fast as he could.

"Wait! You knew about this?" He heard Sakura call out to him as he rounded the corner, but he didn't respond to her. His main focus was to get to Nariku right now and see if she was still sane enough to not do anything stupid.

When he got to her door it was locked and he thought he could hear her inside, but it was probably his imagination. When it wouldn't open, he just started beating on it.

"Nariku! Hey, Nariku! Let me in! Or at least talk to me!" He kept pounding.

"Go away!"

"I know what you did! You nearly flattened me to get out of that ally!"

"Then you know why I want to be alone!"

"Talk to me, damn it!"

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE-TTE-BA-YO!"

"You're my friend! I'm worried about you! Okay!"

She was quiet for a moment. Then he heard the inside door open and when she talked to him, her voice was much clearer and closer, "I don't want you in the house, but I let you in the entrance if you want."

"I'll talk to you through the door if that's all you want. Just don't shut me out. You have me worried right now."

"Why?" she sounded really chocked up.

"I know you're better than that, but you looked scared enough to do something stupid over this. You've been acting weird for the past two weeks. I just don't want you hanging yourself or something because you think you just threw it all away." He heard her footsteps on the other side of the door, then the bolt and lock turned and she opened the door. She looked like hell. Her cheeks were already stained with tears, she must have already buried her face in her pillow with the way her hair was disheveled, and she looked like she hadn't slept for a week.

"You know I won't do that-tte-ba-ne." She wouldn't make eye contact with him and she was talking in a quiet voice that sounded tired and hoarse from crying.

"I know. It just scared me to see you that scared on the street. Then when I looked into what would have set you off, Sakura told me what happened." He wanted to sound comforting, but how would he do that? He'd never experience this before.

She stepped back and let him in, "Everything?"

"I had to read her lips until she said you kissed her."

Her ears sank even lower on her head, contrary to Shikamaru's opinion, "I blew it. Now she won't want anything to do with me."

"You don't know that! She'll need time to let it sink in."

"I don't deserve her anyway-ba-ne." She'd shut the door and sat against the door to the inside of her house.

"What do you mean?" This was a curveball. What would make her snap like that?

"I'm worse than Ero-Sennin."

"How? I don't see it."

"The first time I realized I felt that way about Sakura, I'd somehow used her image as my partner for the first time I masturbated."

"WHOA NOW! I'm here to help, but I don't need to hear that!"

"Please," her tears were streaming endlessly now and she finally made eye contact with him, "let me clear my conscience before my life goes to Total Hell."

He looked at her pleading face. As much as he didn't want to hear it, he didn't have the heart the deny her what she felt like was her final request, "Fine. I'll feel like I need to hot scrub my brain after this, but get it off your chest."

"Thank you." She wiped her eyes, but it didn't help much, "I meant everything I said to her earlier, but I left that detail out. Ever since then, I've gotten hooked on the sensation. And I always used Sakura's image as my partner, but it eventually made things less pleasurable because of my unrequited feelings. Finally I just let everything come to a head today when I kissed her. Now that's all gone." She curled her knees up and buried her face in them.

Shikamaru didn't know how to respond to this, so why pretend otherwise, "I don't know what to say. I wish I could give you some kind of answer or comfort in this situation, but this is beyond me. I just want to know that you're okay." He felt really stupid right now.

"I'll be fine. I just need a few days to be depressed."

"I wish I knew how you feel, but I'm not that deep. I just want a girl who's average. Not too pretty or too ugly."

"Maybe when I get over this, I'll finally turn normal and find some guy to fall for." She seemed to be trying to cheer herself up.

"Nariku, the day you turn normal I think will be the start gun to the end of the world. If you do go after a guy, I bet he'll be anything but normal."

"Maybe an extreme slacker like you? That kind of not normal?"

"Ha ha. If you're making jokes then you must be back on your normal footing."

"At least until you leave. And right now I want to be alone."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I won't hurt myself. I promise."

"After those boast at the Chûnin exams, I'll hold you to it."

"I don't go back on my word. No matter what-tte-ba-ne."

"I guess I should go now." He didn't want to leave her like this but he couldn't really force it.

"Please. And thanks for coming by. It means a lot that you came by to check on me."

"It wasn't all that troublesome. You're welcome." He waved to her as he turned and left her alone in her house like she'd asked. It didn't stop him from worrying though. He'd make sure to check on her tomorrow.

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Cliffhanger number two! I know where I'm going so please be patient. In the mean time, review and comment, or favorite if you want, that works too.


	8. Aware of Herself and the Other

AAAARGH! CONTINUITY ERROR! I have the floor plan of Nariku's house wrong. The apartment is supposed to be a three or four (depending on what you count as a room) room apartment. The first one is the entrance way where you leave your shoes, next is the kitchen/dinning/living-room area. Connected to that is a training room on the side I think runs the length of the whole apartment, _I think_. Then the bedroom is in its own corner of the apartment with a wall and door separating it from the rest of the building. I have been running things thinking that it was all a connected open space like an extra-long economy apartment and it is way too late to change now. I don't know where the water closet/bathroom (whatever you want to call it) fits in, so I put it close to the entrance, but not right next to it.

PUSS SPUING BLOOD GUTTED ah you know how it ends.

So Nariku's apartment doesn't match the canon Naruto's, so whatever. I can't keep everything accurate no matter how hard I try. It's a lot to keep in mind and I'm a little rusty, so whatever (again).

Thanks for the reviews. Kitsunetenshi, here's the new chapter, put away the kunai and read. We just hit the good part. Kuro-Ookami4, I'm glad you like Nariku's description of her feelings; I was worried that it would just be too confusing. Hellcleaner, you're my first two word review, soo, glad you like it. Halfazn, what errors (other than the floor plan of the apartment)? Lightning-kun, I'm glad you like the story and that I've inspired but touch my Iron Fist and I'll make a Cat's-Cradle that'll RIP YOUR HEAD OFF (thank you those of you who get the reference)!

So I've rattled enough, I don't own "Naruto" or any part of the franchise except for the merchandise I bought.

No Iron Fist joke this time, it would clash with the mood of the chapter. Please read and enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Aware of Herself and the Other**

Sakura just stood there for a moment, unable to really take in what had just happened. Nariku had just kissed her after confessing to love her, and Shikamaru seemed to be in on it. What was going on?

Finally, she started to walk home, but in a slight daze. This was a lot to take in. Her whole day hadn't been completely normal to begin with. The fact she got Sasuke-kun to train with her was proof of that. Moreover, her heart wasn't the excited fluttering butterfly she'd had expected. She had done as badly as she expected to against him though. The best part of it was that he had actually tried to help her improve.

That had been the most enjoyable part. Instead of running her off or treating her like she was in his way or totally useless, he'd tried to help her improve. It didn't bare much fruit though. But she'd still gotten his undivided attention for more than an hour.

It should have been her dreams come true, but she was strangely unexcited about the whole experience. For the past two months, her reactions to Sasuke-kun had been growing less and less fangirl giddy. She'd written it off as growing accustom to being near him so much and getting comfortable with him around her. Now with Nariku's kiss, she didn't know what to think.

As she drifted home, she'd not really taken in where she was, just going home along the well-known path. Sakura's entire trip was just a blur. She'd walked in the front door, answered her mother, walked up to her room, and fell on her bed without a second thought to any of it. She just couldn't get Nariku's action out of her head.

The whole thing kept replaying in her mind. Nariku had just been leaning against the wall with a downcast and unhealthy look. She'd been breathing slightly harder than normal and Sakura thought she looked ill. Then she'd found out that Nariku had been spending time with Shikamaru again and she thought it was cute to see them getting close.

At the time she thought that Nariku was getting a crush on him and the resistance was just her being shy. Then she's snapped at Sakura over it and that caught her off guard. Nariku had a way of getting short tempered with people, but Sakura had never been one of them. She had been a little irritated by that. At least until Nariku apologized. Then she started acting sick by clutching her chest and started to breathe even harder. When she'd said she wasn't okay and was hiding something from her, Sakura had started to worry that the Kyuubi was starting to hurt Nariku somehow.

Even though Nariku had been trying to tell her something, Sakura was worried that she was getting sick. The last thing she'd expected from Nariku was a confession of love that sounded like it forced its way out after being repressed for far too long. How was she supposed to react to that? She thought that maybe Nariku's emotions were confused, that she had just misinterpreted some strange feeling she'd felt for Sakura.

It was just such a hard concept to accept. Sakura loved Sasuke-kun, and Nariku knew it. She'd said she wasn't trying to change Sakura's feelings, but Sakura wasn't convinced that Nariku felt that way for Sakura. Then Nariku threw herself on Sakura mouth first.

Her mind blanked out on that. She didn't know what to feel. How was she supposed to react to that? She just couldn't think of anything to say before Nariku ran off looking more hurt than scared. How was Sakura supposed to react? She couldn't make herself move even when Nariku ran.

Sakura tried to remember everything that had happened to her in the last hour. Nariku's face was so full of pain from Sakura's inaction. Had Sakura hurt Nariku badly? What had she been going through to look so sick at the time she confessed the way she did? Was it all real or was she confused as Sakura suggested? And how did she feel about all of this?

Sakura just lay on her bed in the same daze that had clouded her mind on the way home. She just tried to focus on how Nariku made her feel when she had kissed her. It was a strange feeling, the kind of thing that makes someone just freeze and stop thinking. She couldn't get her mind around it, so she started to think of how she would have handled her confession to Sasuke-kun.

She knew that he wasn't blind to her feelings, just mostly ignored it. She wandered if she would have had the courage to make a move like what Nariku had just done. Could she force herself to just say it so openly? How would he have reacted to it? Then she imagined herself throwing herself onto him like Nariku had just done.

An image of Sakura and Sasuke-kun in lip-lock filled her mind. She tried to think of how she'd feel as she pulled him to her. How it would feel to finally give herself to him in the only way he couldn't ignore and hold him there until she couldn't breathe.

She walked herself through the whole thing. She'd get him to herself similar to this afternoon, and then wait for an opportunity to start the conversation that would end with her confession. She would finally say it to his face and leave him with no choice but to acknowledge it right there. He'd probably say something to the effect of her just being a fangirl and try to brush her off. Then she would counter with the conviction she knew she'd have at that point. When he tried to brush her off again, she'd grab his shoulders and pull him into the best kiss she could give.

She let herself dwell on the mental image of her and him kissing for the first time. He would be shocked of course, and she would be giving everything she had to it so she knew he would know. The whole picture made her feel… nothing?

She opened her eye, rolled onto her back, and stared at her ceiling. She'd had a fantasy like that more times then she could count, and they all stirred her heart into a twittering fever. She'd even had fantasies of her and Sasuke-kun's first time doing _it_. She even tried to imagine that now. It was all just a picture in her head; she wasn't enjoying it like she always did.

What was going on in her? Had Nariku gotten to her, or was Sakura feeling something different? She thought about all her time with Sasuke-kun from the last two months. Why hadn't she been feeling the loving heart flutter she'd felt in the beginning? Every private moment she'd had with him she'd enjoyed, and she'd still say she loved him, but it was different somehow.

What had changed? What was her new feeling? She couldn't have stopped being in-love with him… could she? She'd felt so strongly for him when she fallen for him, it terrified her to see him falling into what Orochimaru was trying to make him, all she wanted was to be there for him and be anything he needed her to be. Wasn't that being in-love with someone? Didn't she still feel that way? Of course she did! Didn't she?

'I still love him'

_Love, yes. In-love? Are you really?_

'Of course I am!'

_Are you sure?_

'Yes!'

_Then what will you do with Nariku's feelings for you?_

'I don't know.' It actually made her heart hurt to think about it.

_Maybe you should remember everything she's done for you._

'I do.' Her mind moved back to the first time she'd met Nariku in person. It had been _that_ game of ninja. Nariku had seemed surprisingly normal for the girl who they'd all been told to avoid. Sakura forgot who invited her in, but she'd looked more excited than Sakura had expected her to. She was really surprised at how well Nariku could climb. It must have come from the constant pranks on building tops. It was also how she'd gotten a one up on most of them when she'd played. Then she'd gotten too excited and used a roof top to pounce onto Sakura's back. Until she'd been landed on, she'd actually enjoyed playing with Nariku, but she'd grown to hate her for nearly breaking her back.

Nariku's face from that day came to Sakura's mind. She'd looked so scared of everyone yelling at her for what she'd done. She'd known the instant she'd landed on Sakura that she'd screwed up big time. She looked like she'd been trying to apologize, but no one would let her. Not even the man who had come by to help. Sakura had been lucky he was one of the best medics in the village. If he hadn't been, Sakura might not have been able to become a ninja.

He'd not only fixed Sakura's back enough for her to go to the hospital, but he'd also gone out of his way to reprimand Nariku for her action. Looking back, he looked like he was just spilling his hatred of her out using this as an excuse. In fact, when Nariku retaliated be saying Sakura should have been more resilient, he straight out punched her cheek for it.

Nariku's reaction seemed to have been a front to hide how scared she was that she might have permanently hurt Sakura. At the time, Sakura thought Nariku deserved it, but now she realized that he was just using it as an excuse to take his hatred of Nariku out on her. That realization made Sakura feel the most despicable she'd felt in a long time. To think she'd been used as an excuse by a bigot to abuse Nariku. Sakura realized now how much Nariku regretted her actions and how scared she was of how everyone was treating her in that moment.

Sakura moved on to the day they'd been made teammates. Nariku had come up to her looking to share lunch, most likely to try and use their new status as teammates to apologize for the game of ninja. All Sakura had done was throw her offer back in her face and run her off thinking that she was trying to pull some new stunt that would make Sakura miserable. Her experience with Sasuke-kun that day could have been better too. He started off being nice to her and she'd almost gotten what she wanted, but something had pissed him off by the time he got back and she'd said the wrong thing only making it worse. His reaction to her had made her realize how she'd made Nariku feel.

That night hadn't been as good as it could have been either, and once again it had been Sakura's own fault. Nariku had been in the bathhouse first and Sakura had treated her like it was Nariku's own fault for having been there in the first place. Nariku's questions about Sakura's body had irritated her at the time, but looking back on it, Nariku's desperation for friendly conversation was obvious. So was the pain she felt leaving because Sakura refused to be nice to her. Sakura completely failed to make good on her promise to change how she treated Nariku. How many times had Sakura hurt her like that?

Sakura's mind wandered over their many missions together. How Nariku gave everything her all, even when it was overboard. How she and Sasuke-kun were squabbling from the beginning. So many times Sakura felt like she was somehow the levelheaded sister dealing with a pair of siblings that made each other their rival. It was actually kind of fun. Sakura was an only child and the idea of having siblings felt nice. It even felt right.

Wait… right? Her mind drifted back to Sasuke-kun. She still felt a love for him, but somehow thinking of him as a brother felt right. That couldn't be. How would her infatuation with him, her truly deep love for him change to a sibling love?

_Love does play by its own rules._

'But I really was deeply in love with him.'

_Things change, even love._

'How? How did I change my feelings for Sasuke-kun? I couldn't have.'

_Maybe you should dwell on your memories of Nariku for a while like I suggested in the first place._

She let her memory wander back to the things Nariku had done. At first she seemed unimpressive, but she grew so quickly. It seemed like she would throw more of herself into everything then she had to give. Somehow, Nariku could give 110% of herself to 120% of everything they did on their missions. In the Chûnin exam, Nariku had done so much to try and protect Sakura when Sasuke-kun seemed to have shut down.

Something clicked at the last thought. She started to think of how Nariku would react to Sakura being in danger. Nariku always seemed to get more into her fights when Sakura was directly involved. She seemed to fight Kiba harder once Sakura had been cheering. She cheered Sakura on in her fight pretty hard herself.

She started to think about the way Nariku would act around her. Something about her seemed to glow a little brighter when Sakura was around her. It made Sakura think of how she would react to Sasuke-kun when she was on her lovey highs. How had Sakura never seen it?

Then one day forced itself to the surface. The day Nariku had changed. The day Sakura had forgiven her for the game of ninja had made Nariku look the most happy Sakura had ever seen her, but the day of her change was something different all together. The look in Nariku's eyes when Sakura had simply accepted her for what she was was indescribable. It was as if Nariku had convinced herself that she wouldn't be able to live passed that day and Sakura gave her hope for the future. There were so many times on that day that Nariku looked her happiest just because she and Sakura were alone and talking like good friends. Sakura should have seen right then how important to Nariku she was.

None of that changed the fact that Sakura couldn't figure out how her feelings were starting to shift the way they were. How had she started to feel different about Sasuke-kun and Nariku? Did she really or was it the shock of Nariku's kiss. Her face was so desperate for her feelings to be understood. She'd meant every word she'd said. That was obvious, just startling to hear for the first time.

Sakura put her figure on her lips and thought about her stolen first kiss. Nariku had given her something special with that kiss. She could feel something in it. Something sad. She remembered the tears in Nariku's eyes and the tightness she held Sakura with. Nariku didn't want to let Sakura go, she could just tell. The pressure of their lips pressing together, the moisture of their open mouths, the light warm puffs of Nariku exhaling tickling Sakura's lip and nose, and the heat she felt coming off of Nariku's cheeks. It all felt like she gave her everything again, not knowing if it would pay off this time.

Sakura felt her heart beat faster at the memory of the kiss. Her cheeks got a little warmer too. Was she really falling for Nariku? How could she? Nariku was another girl.

_That hasn't stopped her now, has it?_

'No, but what do I do? I'm still not sure of how I feel.'

She tried to sort out her emotions. Sort out her love. What did she feel for Sasuke? What did she feel for Nariku? If Sasuke-kun had become a brother to her, then could she fall in love with Nariku? Why did Sasuke-kun become a brother instead of her destiny like she'd felt in the beginning? Was Nariku as serious as she believed herself to be or was she confused and now confusing Sakura too? How did she feel? How did Sakura feel?

"I've never seen her fight like that before." Sasuke's voice echoed in her head, she'd thanked him for saving her from the sand gauntlet and he told her that Nariku did it, "She fought desperately to save you. Even showing a strength that I've never seen from her before."

Sakura shot straight up remembering that. She'd felt so grateful to Nariku for having saved her. But the gratitude felt different somehow. It felt warmer. She put her hand over her heart and felt it beating faster than ever. Was that when it happened? Had it happened…yet?

She tried to remember every single, tiny, little detail she could from being trapped and slowly crushed by the sand gauntlet. She been nearly knocked unconscious form the impact with the tree and the sand constricting on her didn't help. But she could still barely hear everything around her. It sounded like a war with Nariku as one whole half of the battle.

She'd given her all to save Sakura. She remembered the condition Nariku was in when she woke up after the gauntlet dissolved. Her face was covered in dirt and blood and she looked completely drained. Sakura was worried she'd almost gotten herself killed.

"Th-they're my friends! Touch them again and I'll slaughter you-tte-ba-ne!" Nariku's voice echoed in Sakura's head. Did she feel that strongly for Sakura? Did Sakura return it?

Nariku's face flashed through Sakura's mind. Her glowing smile. The look she wore when she was irritated. Those strong eyes when she was determined to win. The vulnerable and scared look in her eyes when she showed her fox parts the first time. That crying face when she'd kissed Sakura and Sakura froze. She was a cute and beautiful girl.

When she admitted it to herself, Sakura heart skipped a beat. Was that it? Was that the proof that she'd fallen in love with Nariku? Nariku had more than proven she loved Sakura. Why was Sakura still holding herself back on this? She needed to know the truth for certain. So she decided that she needed to talk to Nariku. When she got down stairs, she crossed paths with her mother.

"Mom," she felt her heart beating faster and faster as she committed to going to see Nariku, "I need to go to a friend's house. Right now."

"Why? It's almost dinner time." Her mom asked.

"I had a fight with them and I think I hurt their feelings pretty bad. Now I see it was my fault and I want to talk with them about it. Tonight. I need to apologize and I'm worried that it's almost too late now." It wasn't a total lie. She was worried it might be too late, and she had hurt Nariku's feelings pretty bad. She just hoped that Nariku would still talk to her.

"Sakura, what happened? It's not like you to have a fight that serious."

"Mom, may I please just go right now and give you the details later? I really _need_ to see them tonight." She needed to see her? She might not need this talk to convince herself.

Her mother looked worried, but just asked "How late do you think you'll be out?"

"I don't know. It was kind of a few-weeks-in-the-making thing. I have a lot of work to do to earn their forgiveness. I just hope they'll listen to me." She really hoped Mom wouldn't press for detail. Sakura didn't think she could hide the truth with clever wording for very long.

"Okay. It's 5:30. Try and be back by 9:00, but I don't want you out passed 10:00. Then I want a full explanation, am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am! Thank you!" She hugged Mom as tight as she could, then ran out of the house. She knew exactly how to get to Nariku's house. Her heart was racing the whole time as she thought about what would happen when she got there.

She remembered how Nariku would light up when she was near her. How she always tried to spend time with her. The glow she somehow gave off just because she was happy. Her boundless energy. The ferocity and determination she fought with. The sincerity she gave to everything. Nariku might not even have been capable of lying. Finally, Sakura remembered the passion in the kiss.

She'd run the whole way. Now she was at the base of the building that Nariku lived in. Her cheeks were warm and her heart was fluttering as much as it was just pounding. She had butterflies in her stomach and her palms were sweating from more than the exercise getting to the apartment. By the time she'd reached Nariku's door, Sakura practically knew the answer to her question. But it was too late to back out, and if she was right, Nariku had the right to know.

Standing in front of the door, she felt her whole body go on edge. She was so nervous to talk about this, especially after she'd almost broken Nariku's heart in the street earlier. Her arms were tingling and her knees felt weak. But she had to do this. She had to confirm her own feelings and this was the only way to do it. So with a steadying deep breath, she held her hand up and knocked on Nariku's door.

Nothing happened, not even an indication of stirring. Sakura knocked again. Nariku had to answer; Sakura needed to talk about this with Nariku. She'd just knock until she got a response. Finally, she heard Nariku coming to her door and opened it. As soon as Nariku laid eyes on Sakura, she jumped back hard enough to hit the door on the opposite side of her entryway. Sakura was surprised that it hadn't been knocked off its hinges.

"N-N-Nariku, may I come in? I want to talk." Sakura's heart was racing. Could she make herself go through with this?

Nariku just stood back against the door and stared at Sakura's presence. Sakura didn't want to step in until Nariku gave her permission, but she didn't seem capable of moving at the moment. So Sakura took a half-step in the door.

"I just want to talk. Do you mind?" Nariku only seemed capable of shaking her head in response to the question, "May I come in?" She didn't want to be forceful. Nariku might take it as aggression, and Sakura didn't want to seem aggressive.

Nariku just gave a gentle head nod and Sakura stepped in and shut the door right behind her back, "I'm sorry for freezing up on you in the street after you…" her heart beat faster admitting it in-front of Nariku and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered faster, "kissed me. Can we sit-down and talk about this?"

Nariku looked like an animal backed into a corner. She must be terrified to see Sakura after she pulled such a brazen stunt to prove her love. Sakura couldn't blame her seeing as Nariku thought that Sakura was still in-love with Sasuke-kun. Nariku must think that Sakura is here for some form of vengeance.

"I just want to talk. That's all." Is this what Nariku felt that day in the bathhouse when she though Sakura still hated her, or was this feeling closer to Nariku trying to apologize for the game of ninja?

"OOOO-OOOO-OOOkay-ba-ne." She finally said. Nariku opened the door she'd tried to knock down when she'd seen Sakura and invited Sakura in. Nariku looked like hell. Her cheeks were tearstained and her hair looked as if she'd had her face buried in her pillow ever since she got home. Her eyes were red and watery from crying and they'd gotten puffy too.

Sakura took her shoes off as she entered Nariku's little apartment. She knew it wouldn't be easy to talk about this with Nariku in the state she was in, but it needed to be done. She decided to make a bold move of her own and walked straight passed the table that they always used for conversation and sat on the corner at the foot of Nariku's bed. She watched Nariku as she stood next to one of the chairs and looked at Sakura sitting on her bed. Nariku drummed her fingers nervously on the chair's back before walking over to the bed, crawling on, and curling up as close as she could to the headboard.

"Sakura, I'm sorry-tte-ba-ne." She apologized quietly and hoarsely. Her throat must have been raw from crying at the thought of how much she'd thrown away, "I just kinda snapped. I didn't mean to throw myself on you-tte-ba-ne. I never even intended to tell you. I just…" she stopped talking for a minute and tried to get her throat to clear.

"How long have you been holding that in?" Sakura tried to sound normal, but her heart was pounding like a drum at a summer festival. Nariku flinched all the same.

"A few months now, I'm not sure how many. Maybe nine-tte-ba-ne." She sounded like she might cry again if she had anything left, but she sounded like she'd cried all she could tonight and needed to recover.

"Wow. That's a long time to hold something like that in." Sakura unintentionally sounded distant on the last comment. She hoped that Nariku wouldn't take it to mean that she was angry about the whole thing, "Why didn't you intend to tell me?"

That question made Nariku look heartbroken. She hung her head and her ears laid down even flatter than they already were. Her eyes clouded over some and she drew her knees and tail even tighter to her. Sakura didn't like hurting Nariku like this seemed to be doing, but she needed to hear Nariku's side of the story.

"When I realized how I felt, you still hated me at the time-tte-ba-ne. Plus, I know how you feel about Sasuke and I told myself that if you feel even half of what I was feeling, I had no right to try and change how you felt about him."

"I guess you're right." She felt like she was lying to Nariku to agree that she was still in love with Sasuke-kun, "How does it feel?"

"How does what feel-tte-ba-ne?"

"Holding it back? I never really held in how I felt for Sasuke, I just never said it in straight and plain words like you did." She felt like she was being cruel, almost like she was using this to torture Nariku with her own emotion.

"It hurt a lot. I just wanted you to know so bad, but knew you wouldn't change your feelings for Sasuke so I just forced myself to hold it in." she seemed to be getting dangerously depressed. Sakura started to hate herself for not having thought her questions through enough to not hurt Nariku. So she tried to ask something less painful but equally relevant.

"Have I ever done anything to ease how you felt?" _Damn! That made no sense coming out, but I hope you understand what I meant._

"You mean like, 'have I ever been satisfied with just our friendship' or something like that-tte-ba-ne?" Nariku wiped one of her eyes. She seemed to have found new tears, but they only just slipped out.

"I mean 'have I ever actually done anything that justified how you feel or made it worth it to be my friend.'" _I'm still not making sense. How do I phrase what I'm thinking?_

"I'm not sure what you're asking me."

Sakura was starting to get frustrated with her own inability to communicate. She tried as hard as her could to come up with an appropriate set of words to express what her thoughts were.

"I guess, 'even though you feel the way you do and even though I haven't returned those feelings, have I ever done anything for you that made it worth it to know me or be friends with me. Have I ever justified your feelings, even if I haven't been to you what you want me to be?'" this entire time, Sakura hadn't made eye contact with Nariku; she hadn't even looked in her direction. She'd just stolen glances at her through gaps in her bangs trying not to let Nariku see her face. Right now she didn't want her expression influencing what Nariku was thinking.

"The day these appeared." Nariku held up her tail and petted her ears, "You tried so hard to help me through that whole ordeal. I loved how much time we spent alone together on that day, and the fact that you accepted me for who I was even after this all happened. Thank you. Thanks for all the help with my new cloths too-tte-ba-ne."

Sakura couldn't believe she'd not thought of that day when she had decided to come here tonight. It was one she thought she'd never forget. She'd never seen Nariku that frightened before, and this afternoon was the first time it'd been beaten. Hopefully, it would be the last.

She tried to remember what was going through her mind in that on that day. Despite her irritation at the summoned toad, she'd wanted to give Nariku the benefit of the doubt. All doubt was dispelled when she'd learned of the Kyuubi in Nariku and she replaced it all with concern when Nariku's new parts were shown off. Looking at Nariku shivering in the corner, Sakura just wanted to help her in any way she could. She'd realized just how much she'd gone through already in life; Sakura just couldn't let Nariku suffer anymore.

They'd had some fun conversations waiting on people to come back to Nariku's apartment. Nariku glowed her brightest that day during those moments. Sakura should have caught on then, but no need dwelling on what could have been.

The worst part of the whole experience was when they reported to the Counselors and they suggested quarantining Nariku just for being what she was. The way they talked about it, it sounded like they were going to put her in a jail cell or some kind of sealed lab to do who-knows-what to her. The thought of it had terrified Sakura so much when she'd heard it, and hurt more to think about how close it came to becoming real. How could they have even considered treating Nariku that way?

Thinking of all this plucked at something in Sakura heart. It also reminded her of the reaction Nariku had at the news that she wasn't going to be moved out of her apartment and that just maybe she'd have a chance at a normal life after all. Sakura had wanted to sprint back to Nariku's apartment after Jiraiya-sama explained to her how his letter was supposed to help and how it would work. She couldn't wait to give Nariku the good news and had acted on the impulse to run once they were a half-block from her apartment. Nariku practically threw herself on Sakura when she heard that she could get her life back and that Sakura had put in the best argument in Nariku's favor. Sakura couldn't help but hug back. It was the happiest that Sakura had seen Nariku ever, and Sakura had caused it.

The same thing plucked in Sakura's heart again. Thinking about how she'd saved Nariku from whatever fate she'd almost been forced to suffer, and the terror of losing her to said fate made Sakura's heart feel something familiar. And even stronger than when she'd felt this tug for Sasuke. It was that warm feeling of being near to someone close to her heart.

That was it. She didn't need to be convinced anymore. She placed her hand gently over her heart as she felt it beat a little faster with each new pluck. Sakura knew what she felt now and was completely willing and wanting to accept it.

"Nariku," Sakura still wasn't ready to make eye contact yet, but soon, "Do you remember how Kakashi-sensei said that I gave the best argument for your case that day?" she left her hand gently placed over her heart and even turned her head slightly away from Nariku so that she wouldn't be distracted her reactions.

"Yes." She still sounded depressed. Sakura hoped Nariku was ready to accept this.

"Well I wasn't just the best argument. I was the loudest." She swallowed hard then chuckled, "They were talking about locking you up like a failed experiment or something and I just couldn't listen to it anymore. So I screamed 'shut up' at them as loud as I could and then broke down trying to explain to them who you were and how they weren't being fair to you." She knew what she was about to do. Thinking about it made her heart race and her eyes quiver a little as if she were holding in her own tears.

"Really?" Nariku's voice was getting back to normal quality. Her throat must have been healing in this short disuse. Her tone betrayed a small hope, the same repressed hope she'd had when Sakura promised to help her on the day she changed.

"Yes. You deserve better than that." Sakura tried to clutch her heart now. She just needed to focus, "Honestly, I need to apologize. I've let myself be ignorant of your feelings and I've even been unfairly cruel to you." She swallowed hard again and was surprised that Nariku didn't interrupt, "I'm sorry for not forgiving you sooner. I'm sorry for not seeing how you feel. I'm sorry that I didn't thank you enough for saving my life all the times you have." She couldn't make herself turn around yet.

"What are you saying?" Nariku's voice had returned all the way to normal, but the fear was still in it, "you don't have to apologize for that. I didn't do it for the gratitude; I did it because I care-tte-ba-ne." Her voice trembled some with the last statement.

"I know. I know you care. I know you have for a while. I was apologizing for not seeing that sooner." Sakura placed her other hand over her heart and turned slowly, "And for not seeing how _I_ felt sooner." She was facing Nariku by now, but hadn't made eye contact yet. Sakura rolled her eyes up and saw the same fear that was trying to suppress the hope on Nariku's face, and when their eyes met, Sakura let herself say, "Nariku, I love you too."

Nariku's ears shot on end, her tail fluffed and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Sakura figured she'd be shocked but not this much. She looked scared to accept what she'd heard as truth; to her it must have been too good to be true.

"Sakura! You don't have to humor me-tte-ba-ne. I meant what I said, but that doesn't mean that I was trying to steal you from your true emotion." She had tears falling from her eyes and she was trembling as if she was trying to stay in denial, but her eyes were betraying the hope that this was all true. Sakura turned and pulled herself up on the bed.

"I'm not humoring you. I've thought it through, I know how I feel. I mean it when I say I love you." Sakura was feeling like she was the one being rejected now, but she needed to keep in mind that Nariku was probably self-convinced that Sakura wouldn't return her feelings for her.

"I didn't mean to jump on you today, honest-tte-ba-ne." Something was hurting her, but she just wouldn't say what.

"Calm down, Nariku. I know you must be having a hard time accepting it, but I promise I'm not lying to you, I'm not humoring you, and I'm totally serious." She reached out to Nariku, but she backed away.

"You don't understand! I'm a horrible person-tte-ba-ne!" she was truly scared now. She must have not told Sakura the whole truth. Whatever it was, Nariku was scared it would drive Sakura off again.

"How could you be a horrible person? What could you have done?" Sakura had grown willing to accept anything that Nariku would tell her.

"I'm worse than Ero-sennin."

"How could you be?"

"I figured out how I felt about after…" she acted like she couldn't make herself say it, but refused to keep it to herself, "I masturbated to a fantasy of _you_ as my partner. I'm a terrible person because I would do something like _that_ without even considering _your_ feelings on it-tte-ba-ne. I got addicted to the feeling and just kept doing it withou –mmph—" She'd been working herself into a panic. Sakura had been shocked to hear Nariku's revelation, but she didn't let herself show it. She had enough of those skeletons in her closet to be as bad as Nariku. She just wanted Nariku to accept that this wasn't some kind of falsehood.

This time it was Sakura's turn to give her convictions in a kiss. She'd also caught Nariku halfway through a word, so once again she felt the warm, moist pressure of their open mouths meeting. The only big difference was that Nariku choose to stop breathing when their lips met, and Nariku had put her hands on Sakura's shoulders as if to stop her but had no fight in them as the girls kissed.

As she held their lips together, Nariku's body went stiff. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head, her spine stiffened, her neck froze, and she held her breath for most of the kiss. Sakura just held them there for as long as she could, breathing through her nose to prolong the kiss. Eventually, Nariku's body just melted in the embrace and she nearly went limp. Her eyes glazed over, her shoulders sank, her back's stiffness fade, and her arms dropped down to her side. Finally, Sakura pulled off only just enough to let Nariku breath and smiled at her.

"Nariku, you talk too much."

* * *

The real serious stuff starts next time. Hope you like it. And InARealPickle, I didn't want to give away my couple in this story. Even though I wasn't as subtle as I hoped to be, I didn't want to be so obvious that it was in the summary of the story. And is it just me or is this weekly update thing starting to become common with me?

Please review.


	9. Nariku's Dream and Sakura's Reality

I. Am. So. Sorry! I didn't mean to wait this long to update this story. Life just sucks right now. It's nothing serious, just frustrating. So moving on the things that are relevant to the plot.

Nariku's apartment is kicking me around like a soccer ball. I was right in my first assumption of the floor plan of the canon Naruto apartment. It is just a big one room living space with his bed on the wall opposite the door, the counter top stove and sink on the same wall as the door, the water closet (toilet and sink) and bathroom (with only a bathtub and showerhead) on the wall perpendicular to the entrance and the training room on the same wall, but much smaller than I thought. The anime apartment is _sometimes_ a multi-room apartment with the full length training room and the outdoor walkway. Oh well. Even though I've not been consistent I want to set a standard, so now I will give you the floor plan of my Nariku's apartment: the entrance way is its own small room with a door separating it from the apartment, the living area is the same as canon just a little longer but the same set-up, the water closet and bathroom are in the same place, the training room is a little bigger and has the door to the outdoor walkway that the anime has. So there you go.

Now I have a confession to make, this chapter is why I started this story. I wanted a good yuri that had a good story and would lead you-know-where. When I couldn't find it, I made my own. So here is you-know-where. I hope I didn't go overboard. Just to warn you, this is a long one. I couldn't find a place to break it so this one made it to 34 pages in the word document. Settle in for a long ride.

Now comes time for the "I don't own 'Naruto' or any of its characters or properties" disclaimer and… I guess I just made it.

Once again no Iron Fist joke, but I will say this: LADIES and GENTLEMEN, BEHOLD: The CITRUS is BACK! And this time, with A VENGENCE!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Nariku's Dream and Sakura's Reality**

Her mind went blank. Just blank. Her mouth was making contact with Sakura's at Sakura's volition. Sakura was intentionally kissing Nariku. She couldn't feel her body anymore. She'd thought that admitting to her perversities would drive Sakura away, but it didn't even faze her. When Sakura had shown up, Nariku felt like she was trying to check out of life. She'd been right when she thought she'd fall back into depression when Shikamaru left and she'd spent most of that time buried in her pillow flipping between crying her eyes out and silent depression.

She couldn't believe that Sakura was on her doorstep asking to talk. Nariku was scared that this was going to turn ugly, but Sakura said "I love you, too" of all things. Of course Nariku thought it all too good to be true. And she knew, she just knew, that Sakura would find her habit disgusting. But now, even knowing the truth, Sakura was kissing her.

When Sakura pulled off Nariku thought she'd heard something about talking too much. She just sat there in a daze. Was this real or was it a dream? How could Sakura have changed to love Nariku? One thing was certain, that kiss was real and as sincere as it got. As she sat in her daze, Sakura moved closer and smiled at her waiting for Nariku to do something.

Nariku just looked her in the eyes, "Sakura?"

"I'm here. I'm real. That was real." Sakura took Nariku's hand and laced their fingers together, smiling the whole time.

"Please." She looked Sakura in the eyes with tears slipping out of her own.

"Please, what?" Sakura seemed willing to do anything for Nariku

"Please don't lie to me," Nariku couldn't stop her fears from showing, "Please don't be lying to me. Please be truthful. Please really mean you love me."

Sakura placed her hand on Nariku's cheek and just stared into her eyes with tears in her own, "Yes, Nariku. I'm really in love with you now. It's not a lie, and I'm _not_ confused." That glowing smile still on her face.

"How?"

"Love does whatever it wants. You've done more for me than anyone else ever has. I just realized how strongly I'd started to feel." Sakura had her own tears now, but they seemed happy somehow.

"I wasn't lying about fantasizing about you. Why doesn't that bother you?" Nariku nuzzled Sakura's hand. She actually pulled away from her on that question causing Nariku to worry about what she'd said. Her ears lay down as flat as they could and her tail wrapped around herself tight.

"If it wouldn't hurt you too much to hear it, I'll admit to my own…" Sakura swallowed hard, "my own perversities." Nariku looked up at her in cautious curiosity.

"What do you mean?"

-^-v-^-v-^-

This was going to be hard to admit, but here it goes.

"Well…" She rubbed her arm and broke eye-contact with Nariku, "When I would daydream about Sasuke," she was worried to bring this up so soon after they barely had a chance to start a relationship, "I actually would fantasize about going to bed with him… A lot." She was surprised at how easy it was for her to admit all of this. Nariku looked at her startled; it must be shocking to her to hear Sakura admit it. "In fact," she mide-as-well admit to her darkest secrets to help Nariku feel better, "I've actually read one of Kakashi-sensei's books. I don't mean one of his personal ones, just a copy of it. I kinda liked it. And do you remember when we were in the Forrest of Death and I ran you into a bush to use the restroom?"

"Mmhm." Nariku had a pure curiosity on her face. Sakura didn't feel that much shame in admitting it. She was a bigger perv than she'd considered herself to be.

"I thought to myself that if it had been Sasuke, I still liked him that way at the time, I wouldn't have minded. Not to watch him go, but to see his… you know. In truth, I'm a pretty big closet pervert. I've gone looking for and found things that are kinda considered hardcore. I've always wanted to try a lot of it out." Now she got to hope that her dirty secrets wouldn't drive Nariku away. But it hadn't bothered her as much to admit it all as she thought it would. In fact, she felt better to get it out in the open. Nariku didn't comment, so Sakura made a move.

"You're not repulsed are you are you?"

"No. Just a little startled, but relived that I'm not alone in that department."

Sakura moved forward and gave Nariku another kiss. This time though she rapped an arm Nariku's neck. As they held it out, Nariku lowered her knees and Sakura pulled herself closer to her, embracing her tighter. Soon they were moving their lips as they held the kiss longer. An impulse went through her and she let herself slip her tongue into Nariku's mouth. It wasn't long before its presence was meet and returned by Nariku. They began to roll around each other playfully and started to press in deeper into each other's mouth, eventually fighting for dominance.

After a wonderful experience making-out, Sakura pulled off and stared into Nariku's beautiful, deep blue eyes, "I love you, Nariku."

"I love you too, Sakura." Their lips met again and a new round of making-out commenced.

As they became absorbed in each other, Sakura dropped self-restrain, let her hand slip under Nariku's jacket, and started sliding it up Nariku's torso. She gasped and pulled away from Sakura when she felt her jacket start to lift.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"I'm nervous to jump straight into that." Her nervous face was so cute; it actually stirred Sakura up more.

"How long have you been holding it all in?"

"Nine or more months."

"Look at me." Sakura cupped Nariku's chin in her hand and spoke as honestly as possible, "Say 'no' and I'll stop. I'll let you decide. But I really believe I fell for you shortly after you saved me from Gaara, I just blinded myself to it. I'll admit to being a pervert, but this is more than that. I love you, Nariku. I just want to share it with you and I'm not going to hold myself back anymore unless you draw a line."

Nariku's cheeks were glowing with blush, but she also looked moved. Her hand was on the arm Sakura was holding her chin with in a light but firm grip. Sakura moved her hand off Nariku's chin and laced her fingers with Nariku's. She just leaned into her and kissed her passionately again, satisfied with this being the limit until Nariku agreed to more. As long as they were together, that was all she needed.

Nariku returned the passion for a moment then pulled off, "I love you too, Sakura. I'm just nervous about my first time."

"It's mine too."

"I know, and that's why I'm not holding back either. I want you, Sakura. I love you." That was all Sakura needed. She grabbed the zipper on Nariku's jacket and opened the barrier between her and her loves body.

As she opened the jacket, she was reminded of how small Nariku's body was. She was cute for being that small. Her undershirt was a black tank top and Sakura found herself arguing with herself about whether or not to "tie" Nariku's arm with her jacket or not. She loved looking at Nariku with her arms restrained behind her back with the mound of orange and blue, but she couldn't take off Nariku's tank top or let her play back if she did. Finally Sakura pulled it the rest of the way off. It look on Nariku's face had been so delicious while Sakura contemplated. Her cuteness was almost too much for Sakura to exercise restraint.

Once Sakura got Nariku's jacket off, she made a move to take her top off when her hands got caught by Nariku's, who looked like she wanted to confess one last thing, "Sakura, there's one more thing I need to tell you," Sakura just looked at her expectantly, "Do you remember the day we became a team-tte-ba-ne?"

"You were Sasuke weren't you?" Nariku looked like the kid with his hand in the cookie-jar. It was so cute.

"Was it that obvious, or is it the most likely thing for you to think of-tte-ba-ne?"

"I thought hard on it after it happened. He felt like he was opening up to me before he ran off. Then when he came back, he was the same brooding Sasuke we know and love. And yes, if I consider how nervous you were that night, it is kinda obvious that's what you were going for right now." She giggled at Nariku's guilty look. Her cute was hot, but she also seemed bothered.

"It kinda bugs me to hear that, Sakura." She must be referring to 'know and love', namely 'love'.

Sakura took Nariku's chin again and forced eye contact, "He's like a brother to you too isn't he?" Nariku nodded, "He's become the same to me. You're the one I'm _in-love_ with. Don't worry."

"You're not mad about that?" She pouted.

_Nariku, you're making moving slow and romantic instead of aggressive and lusty difficult, _"No. It's in the past, let's leave it there. I just want to focus on the here with you right now." Sakura surprised herself at how sensually she said the last sentence. She slid her hands under Nariku's top and up her torso until she could roll her breasts.

The feeling of them was something very new to Sakura. It was kind of fun to have only enough to roll instead of her own miniature handfuls. It was more difficult than she expected because Nariku's top pinched under her arms made it hard for Sakura to get her hands all the way under her shirt like she'd wanted.

She moved closer to Nariku and pulled on her shirt tail. Nariku lifted her arms up and Sakura pulled the top off as quickly as she could, almost taking the hitai-ate with it. Sakura just sat there a moment taking in Nariku's topless form. She was very small. She had a flat stomach and a chest to match. Something about it turned Sakura on. Especially the fact her laterals popped out just barely. There was just something attractive about Nariku's boyish charm extending all the way down her body.

As Sakura took it all in, she felt a certain look fall on her face. She could feel the hood over her eye that made her think she must look very seductive right now. She was turned on enough to look it. She wanted to leave the hitai-ate on Nariku's neck, but it could have been so much more fun to play with her neck instead. She decided that Nariku's new necklace was enough decoration. So she grabbed the hitai-ate's knot, pulled it loose, then leaned in and nipped the cloth in her mouth and slid it off by leaning back; giving Nariku a "come get me" look the whole way.

Nariku's cheeks looked like they could burn with the blush she had. Her nerves were still showing, but Sakura could see the mutual turned on look on her face. Sakura just jerked her head slightly and pitched the hitai-ate onto an out of the way corner of the bed and leaned in to make-out with Nariku more.

Sakura leaned into the kiss and Nariku let herself be pushed down, but the wall was in the way so she had to walk herself onto her back on the bed. She managed not to lose lip locked the whole way. As their tongues fought again, Sakura began to roll Nariku's breast around. It was so much fun to feel them squish and roll under her hands. Nariku's nipples were getting erect and Sakura had to pinch and roll them too, gaining moans from Nariku.

"Do you like this?" she asked continuing to roll the nipple in her fingers.

"Yes!" Nariku gasped out.

"How does it feel?"

"Like I could get off on it." Nariku arched her back a little

"Do you want to try?" Sakura slipped down and licked the nipple she wasn't messaging.

"I don't know how many I can go for, and I want to have enough energy to give you one."

"I think _you_ have enough steam in you to go for three, but I may be wrong." Sakura suckled on it for a moment, "If you crash, I won't hold it against you. I do kinda owe you something nice after all this time I've been cruel to you." She gave it a lick then blew lightly on it. Nariku moaned so wonderfully at it.

"If you want to try, go ahead."

Sakura began to suckle on the nipple she had her mouth over. Nariku's back arched even more from the new sensation. Sakura kept twisting the other nipple lightly and rolled the breast playfully. As Nariku moaned and gasped, Sakura could feel the heat of desire start to swell in herself more.

The smell of Nariku's skin was almost intoxicating. Her face painted with pleasure by Sakura's hand; exhilarating. Sakura moved from Nariku's nipple and ran her tongue up her body, traced her collar bone, slid up her neck, and licked off her chin, exciting a long, pleasured, almost lustful moan out of Nariku.

"You're beautiful, Nariku." She whispered into her ear.

Nariku turned her head slightly and gasped at a particularly strong pinch of her nipple, practically presenting Sakura with her ear. On an impulse, Sakura reached out and took the tip of it in her lips and kneaded it as best she could. Nariku's little squeak was all Sakura needed to decide that this was a good way to help stir Nariku up if she ever wanted to.

It was so much fun to play with Nariku's breasts. The lack of body in them made it so much more interesting than if she'd even been as big as Sakura. She had to roll them with her palm, which rubbed the nipple more, stirring Nariku into an even better state. As she rolled and twisted the nipples, Nariku would gasp and moan with a burning desire. Her back was arching more and her hips were squirming as if begging for her to touch her down there. For now, Sakura was having more fun depriving it of the touch it wanted.

"Sakuuuraaa. I feel sooo gooood!"

"Am I getting you off with just your nipples?" it felt so good to tease for some reason.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I –HA AH—!" Sakura had pinched them both and gave a generous twist to see what would happen.

"What do you want to happen next?"

"Use your mouth again. I liked that." She gasped out

Sakura ran her tongue back down the same path it had followed to get to Nariku's chin. She licked Nariku's rock like nipple a few times before taking it into her mouth. Nariku's skin tasted salty now from sweat. It made her glisten in the setting sunlight. Sakura decided on a brave move and used her teeth to put pressure on Nariku's pink little nipple. Her gasp sounded of pain and Sakura stopped worried she'd hurt her.

"Was that too hard?"

"No. Just unexpected. I'll tell you if it hurts too much."

"Oh? Do you like a little hurt? " Sakura teased. If Nariku did, Sakura could have fun with that later.

"Maybe." Nariku blushed and put a finger under her lip, "I did like that, but I haven't experimented yet."

Sakura just nipped Nariku's nipple again and Nariku let out a high pitched moan, "I think we can play with that later." Sakura almost heard herself purr.

As she continued to assault Nariku's chest, her own body began to crave a touch. She wanted to feel Nariku's hands on her own skin, but something about starving herself of it made her even more excited. To watch Nariku arch her back and twist her waist trying to hold her chest steady was just as exciting as getting touch right now.

Nariku was clinching her bed sheets as tight as her could. She would let them go and move her hands up near her head looking for something for them to do. Her head was thrown back and her eyes where watering. She moaned and squeaked with every twist, pinch, rub, and nip. Sakura felt so hot causing this much pleasure, and her turn was coming up soon enough.

-^-v-^-v-^-

_Yay! Progress-ish-ness!_ Actually more than _–ish-ness_, it was even more than progress. Sakura loved her, was in-love with her, and was pleasuring Nariku _voluntarily_, and in reality. Nariku felt like her chest would burst.

Sakura rolling her breast, playing with her nipples, and licking her skin was driving her insane in the best way. Her nipples were so sensitive right now and she was feeling it in her whole torso. That pressure and fire from her fist time fantasying were back in force. It was so much better then she'd ever dared dream. Sakura's hair tickled her skin so wonderfully. Even the puffs of her breath were more exhilarating than she'd imagined.

The warmth of Sakura's body being on top of her made her skin tingle and her nipples beg for everything Sakura could give. When Sakura would lick them then blow, the cold almost made her go numb and brought that numbing tingle in her buttocks spread up her spine. She felt the pressure in her swelling. She felt like she was going to blow again.

Her hips were trying to trust again and her hand just needed something to clutch. She tried to not move in a way that would throw Sakura off her rhythm, and the holding back made that pressure in her grow even bigger and more enjoyable.

"Don't stop! Don't stop! I —AH— love h—OW— it feels."

"I'm glad." Sakura softly cued at Nariku.

"More! More! More! HAI!"

"You make such cute noises."

Nariku whined like a puppy and felt her hand clutching her bed sheets next to her head. Her tail was going wild, thrashing about like it needed to do something too. All she could do was cave in to the feeling Sakura was stirring in her.

"Saaaaakuraaaaa! I thiiiiink I'm gonna blow!"

"'Cum', Nariku."

"Wha—AH—?"

"Your orgasm is called 'cum'. So your cumming."

"I didn't kn—OH—!"

"Say it for me." Sakura gave Nariku's nipple a wonderful twist and nip when she said it.

"OOOOOH GAAA! I'm cumming! I'm cumming!"

"Good girl." Nariku could feel the tears in her eyes. She was on the edge. Sakura was rubbing one nipple and then twisting it while suckling, licking, and nipping, sometimes even lightly biting the other. Nariku felt better than she ever had in her whole life. Her nipples tingled, and her chest was feeling it too. Her vagina and button were begging to be played with but depriving them was so wonderful right now. She arched her spine more and she tried in vain to hold her hips still as Sakura pleasured her to her climax.

"I'm cumming! I'm cumming! I'm cumming! OOOH Sakura! Sakura! I love you! I love you! HAI! HAI! HAI! I'M CUUUMMMMINNNNNNG!" Everything locked in her. Her spine froze, her hand clinched as tight as they could, her hips stopped moving and just quaked, her tail went rigid, and her tongue slipped out of her mouth as the feeling of release just washed over her.

She'd had them that strong before, but this felt so much more special. Not only was it from Sakura, but it had been caused by just her breast being played with. What would actually having her lower regions played with feel like? She just lay limp for a moment with Sakura laying straddle of her, resting her head on her hand on Nariku's chest and looking at her lovingly.

"How was it?"

"Can we do that again?"

"I think we have more fun ways to play tonight." Sakura giggled.

"I know, but did it answer your question?" Nariku giggled back. Sakura just licked a nipple again and grinned at her.

"How do you feel? Are you too tired to go on?"

"Not on your life! I just need to catch my breath." She panted for a moment before Sakura move up and kissed her again. They just held the lip lock for a moment, enjoying each other's warmth.

"I love you, too. By the way." Nariku just started laughing when she was reminded of her orgasmic chanting. Sakura pouted at the laughter, "Does that mean you didn't mean it?"

"I meant it. I just wasn't expecting you to respond to something I screamed during orgasm."

Sakura sat up with a "come and get me" grin, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. But I'm feeling a little needy now. So…" she pulled on the zipper of her shirt.

Nariku pulled herself out from under Sakura, pushed herself up and happily obliged Sakura's insinuation. Her heart raced as the zipper fell down Sakura's body revealing the one-strap tube top that Sakura used for a bra. The fishnet tail to it just added to Nariku's viewing pleasure. She pushed on the top of her shirt and slid it off, then pulled on the bottom of the mesh until the whole thing had come off Sakura's body. When Sakura's breast where exposed, Nariku felt her heart race. They were as cute and supple as she remembered from the bathhouse.

As she slid her hands up Sakura's body, Sakura let out a light and soft groan. Nariku was nervous to grab on to them, but her desire finally won and she took them in her hands. Compared to her own, they were very generous. It was great to have so much to play with. She rolled, squeezed, and even batted them a little.

"You're like a cat with a bell."

"It doesn't hurt does it?"

"No. I don't feel much from it other than your hand patting it."

"Does that mean you don't like it?" Her ears drooped.

Sakura leaned down and kissed her, "Sorry, but I don't feel much going either way on the batting."

Nariku just went back to playing with them at that point. They were so supple to squeeze. Sakura's nipples were already erect when her top had come off, but they were still getting harder from Nariku's playing. She just had to pinch them once. Sakura gasped the same way Nariku had.

"So you like nipple pinching too?" Nariku said with a grin.

"Yeah. It's exciting. I like that feeling." Sakura moaned.

"Should I twist too?" Nariku caught herself wagging her tail the fastest it had in a long time.

"Twist me." Sakura purred.

Nariku complied happily. When she twisted Sakura's nipples it drew the loveliest moans out of her. As she continued to play, Sakura started to breathe harder in her moaning and even brought her hands up and almost put one of her knuckles in her mouth as if to give them something to do as she knelt there being pleasured.

As she continued to play with Sakura's breast, Sakura began to sweat. Her body started to gleam magnificently in the fading sunlight coming in Nariku's window. Nariku's hands started to pinch Sakura's breast out and she found herself suckling on them without thinking about it. The taste of Sakura's skin and sweat mixed in Nariku's mouth as her tongue swirled around the nipple causing Sakura to arch her back more and squeak occasionally in her moaning.

Nariku found that flame starting to roar in herself. She loved hearing Sakura moan so sincerely at Nariku's touch. Just getting to this point with Sakura felt like total justification for every feeling, every skipped heartbeat, and every heartache she'd had at Sakura's expense. Now that Sakura was in her arms and exposed to her so willingly made it all worth it. Nothing before now mattered right now.

As she continued, Sakura grew more and more vocal. The more she moaned, squeaked, and even squealed the more Nariku's ears rang with what she called sounds of love. Until she felt Sakura's hands on her wrists. She just looked up at her concerned, but was met with that wanting, loving look Sakura had in her eyes.

"I have an idea." Sakura cued.

"What?"

"Let me show you." Sakura crossed her arms and twisted herself away from Nariku, then pulled herself into Nariku's body, nestling into her body and pulled her hands back onto her breast, "Now, go on and play again." She kept her hands on Nariku's and started to message her breast with them.

Nariku worked with Sakura guiding her hands. She rolled and squeezed her breast, and pinched her nipples just as she had been. There was something special about having Sakura's hands over her own. As she continued to message, Sakura eventually laced her finger in with Nariku's.

Nariku leaned forward some and tried to draw Sakura in closer to her. Sakura nestled herself deeper into Nariku's body and started to press her buttocks into Nariku's pelvis. She pushed back gently against Nariku, rubbing her nipples with her back. As their bodies touched more and more, Sakura started to become even more seduced in her vocalizing.

"Isn't this fun?" Sakura gasped out.

"Yeah. I love feeling your skin on my chest." Nariku let her head down and breathed in Sakura's scent. Her nose slid behind Sakura's ear and she could smell her shampoo. She used something flower scented. Something familiar, something that smelled like spring. It mixed with Sakura's natural scent was intoxicating, but she knew she knew this scent. Then the banner under Sakura's bedroom window blinked through her mind. That was the scent! The flowers on the pictured on the banner was the scent.

She licked Sakura's ear lobe, causing a gasp and lovely shiver to go down Sakura's spin, "Your hair smells like your name." she said in a wispy, whispered voice right into Sakura's ear.

"OOOH! It was a gift this birthday. I've used it sparingl—EE—! Dooo you li—HAI—ke it?" Sakura jolted again at another tongue stroke to the ear.

"I wouldn't have thought you would like that kind of thing. Sakura smelling of sakura?" Nariku wanted to tease too, but she wasn't used to using anything that wasn't meant to be an insult.

Sakura moved her upper body and head so she could kiss Nariku and then smiled, "If _you_ like it, I'll make an exception."

"Does that mean you really don't?" Nariku leaned forward, nipped her ear lobe, and kneaded it a little.

"AAAAH! I normmmmally realllllyyyyyy don't care either way." Nariku licked her neck right on the spin and felt her shiver again, "NNNaaariiiiku! I like my –AAH— gifts to last. But if you like it," She looked seductively over her shoulder, "I may run out very soon."

Nariku decided to try a new trick. If the lick on her neck set off that shiver, then what would her back be like? She shifted her position to try and start at the base of Sakura's spine and not leave her breast, but it wasn't as easy as she thought. She managed not to stop her message of Sakura's bosom and ran her tongue up Sakura's back. Her long moan and shiver of pleasure were like playing a musical instrument. With that reaction made it worth trying that again. To feel Sakura shudder under her was as thrilling as being played with herself.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Having her hands on Nariku's and practically using them as tools to pleasure herself was a new kind of exciting. She couldn't help but to push herself into Nariku's body. She wanted to feel the warmth of Nariku's body on her bare skin, her hands exciting her nerves, and the puff of her breath in her ear. And when Nariku licked her ear and back… OOOOH! Where did she get that idea from! Sakura felt like she was going to go crazy from Nariku's touch. Her butt was tingled with every tongue stroke up her back. Her skin electrifying as Nariku's tongue left a wonderful, wet trail up her back. She just needed more.

As Nariku continued to massage Sakura's breast, she felt the pressure she would feel masturbating growing in her. Her nipples loved the touch of Nariku's fingertips rubbing and twisting them. Her body begged to touched more, so Sakura started to guide Nariku's hands off her breasts and around her body.

"Something wrong?" Nariku asked at the change of direction.

"I just want to feel you everywhere." Sakura purred as she led Nariku's hands over her stomach and up her collarbone and neck. She leaned her head into Nariku's hand and let the smell of Nariku's palm drift into her nose. Her head dipped into Nariku's palm and let her lips glance across it, tasting the salt of her sweat and what might have been her own flavor on them.

Eventually, Nariku began to guide Sakura's hands as she just let her fingertips barely touch Sakura's skin. The light, depriving touch electrified every part of Sakura's skin. Her nerves were getting more and more sensitive. Everything jumped even more when she felt Nariku's tail wrap around her waist. It was like Nariku was hugging her with an extra limb; it even added to it that the tail had fur. Soon, every touch was a wave of ecstasy, but unlike Nariku, Sakura didn't feel like she was getting to a climax. This endless teasing almost turned frustrating even when she felt her breast being played with again. She had hoped she could be as sensitive as Nariku and orgasm form breast play, but she just couldn't get there. Having reached that point, she guided Nariku's down to her shorts and coaxed her thumbs under the band and looked at her lustfully over her shoulder hoping she would get the idea.

"Are you sure?" Nariku sounded like her nerves were back a little.

"Yeah. I want you to." She sounded so horny in her own ears, what had that sounded like to Nariku?

Nariku pulled on the waist band and Sakura felt her shorts start to slip off of her butt. Sakura let Nariku's hands go as she leaned forward to help pull them off. She noticed the surprise on Nariku's face when she found out how Sakura wore her stretch cloth shorts.

"Sakura! You're not wearing panties?" She'd actually stopped pulling with Sakura's shorts around her knees

"I've actually tried with these kinds of shorts. The way their fitted, it just showed off the bands of the panties I was wearing, so I don't wear a pair with these shorts. Besides," she rolled herself over and put her hands on Nariku's hands again and coaxingly pushed them toward her ankles, "For now, are you complaining?"

"I guess not. It's just startling." To Sakura's excitement, Nariku pulled up to pull off and she found herself on her back and flashing Nariku to be disrobed. She giggled lightly as her legs fell free from her shorts leaving her exposed to the world in a way with Nariku's bed next to an open window. She lay on her back a moment and let Nariku take in her nude form; blush and pause on Nariku's face, wanting and beckoning on her own. Nariku didn't move, just stared. Sakura loved that Nariku was enjoying her body's appearance so much, but she thought that she was going to be played with more.

"What's wrong?" she sat up, "You look like you did when we started."

Nariku gulped, "I'm just not sure what to do now. I've only ever fantasized about being on the receiving end. I never thought about how _I_ would do the pleasuring."

"Then I'll give you something to reference." Sakura leaned in close and started to pull on the button of Nariku pants. She'd hoped she could undo them and with one hand and add to the mood, but she couldn't get the button out of the hole smoothly so she scooched closer and used both hands, blushing at her fail attempt to be more skillful then she actually was. She was just glad that Nariku hadn't noticed it wasn't _all_ intentional.

She knew her next idea wouldn't backfire. Once the button was undone, she spread Nariku's legs wider and leaned her head down into Nariku's inseam. She pulled the cloth over her zipper aside, used her tongue to flip the tab on it up, and caught it in her teeth. As she pulled it down she looked up at Nariku's blushing and seduced face with a sexy grin on her own.

_That's right! I AM good at this! CHA!_

"Wow," was all that came out of Nariku's mouth.

Sakura licked her lips and pushed herself back into a sitting position, moving closer to Nariku in the process, "You loved it didn't you?" she began to pull on the waist of Nariku's pants.

"Yeah," barely whispered out of her mouth.

Sakura grinned as she pulled Nariku's pants down. Until she realized that she was technically being straddled by her and her own body was in the way. She had to position Nariku's legs over one of her shoulders to get the pants to come all the rest of the way off. Nariku's tail didn't make things any smoother and her Inner Sakura began to cuss at what a bitch reality was. She promised that if she met a real woman personification of it, she'd go dominatrix on her and make her beg and bark like one for screwing with the smooth flowing, sexual romance she'd imagined tonight would be when she'd started.

She pushed it all out of her mind when she let Nariku's legs back down and saw the cute little pair of green panties she was wearing. Sakura had helped her find a place that would make someone her age tailor made undergarments, and she'd picked up two styles. One had a waist band made similar to a bra with a hole in the back for her tail; the other was just plain small enough that it would stop before it got under her tail and bunch up. These were the latter and Sakura loved how they looked on Nariku.

She lowered herself and began to pull on the waist band of Nariku's panties. This time they came off smooth because Sakura moved out of Nariku's lap and Nariku lifted her butt up when they slipped under her. Sakura threw them where ever the other clothes had wound up and just stared at Nariku's naked form.

She had let her legs slip open some when she'd been freed from her panties, so Sakura could see the spot she knew she was about to give one hell of a once over. Her eyes drifted back to Nariku's head and started back down. The sun had set and the both of them were now lit by the soft glow of streetlights and moonlight shining in the window. Nariku's hair had become a very red shade of orange to match her new fox look, and it suited her well. Her face nearly glowed with blush and desire sitting before Sakura as dressed for a bath as she'd been when all of this had most likely truly begun.

Her body was well toned for her age. How hard did she work to get in the shape she was in? She breast were just cute little lumps that looked more like some baby fat under her nipples instead of developing breast. Her lats popped out just enough to make her look boyish in the best way. Sakura loved the way Nariku's body reflected her personality and looked forward to the feminine shape Nariku'd someday have.

When her eyes fell on Nariku's hips, she noticed that they were just, only just, starting to flare out into a woman's figure. It was still enough for Sakura to notice even if no one else did. Then she came back to her newest place of interest. Nariku's bush wasn't very thick and framed her sex so very well. The most stand-out thing was that the hairs were still as blonde as she had been before she'd changed on that day. It was so hot.

She leaned into Nariku pressed their chests together and started to roll her nipples around Nariku's as best she could sitting up straight. To feel the skin of her nipples rubbing on Nariku's stirred Sakura in a new way. The feeling of having a warm body pressing into and rubbing her nipples caused that old familiar numbing tingle in her back and butt. Her clit started to beg to be touched and her vagina was moving, begging to be used by Nariku's fingers and mouth.

Nariku was starting to sweat more now. Their bodies began to rub with less friction, making moving faster, easier. Nariku's voice rang in Sakura's ear like a beautiful melody. Her gasping and moaning all meant to Sakura that she was truly with the one she should be. Her body felt so hot, her mind so happy, and her heart overjoyed to hear Nariku enjoying their bodies touching so intimately. And they hadn't even gotten to the true intimacy yet.

Nariku's hands wrapped around Sakura's arms and gripped tightly. Her eyes watered and her tongue was over her teeth as if it wanted to let itself slip out of her mouth. But the whole time Sakura rolled their nipples around each other, Nariku's eyes never moved from Sakura's. Her deep blue sapphires' were enchanting, like letting yourself get lost in an ocean. An ocean that wanted only Sakura.

"Ready for something really good." Sakura whispered hungrily as she pulled them apart and started to sink to Nariku's pelvis.

"Please hurry. I need you so bad. Please don't tease me." Nariku's face looked so deliciously cute craving Sakura's touch.

"Oh, but Nariku. Teasing is half the fun," she ran her fingers through Nariku's blonde curls, "Like these. I know what your natural hair color is, but you said the Kyuubi changed it. These say you're lying to me." She grinned up at her devilishly as she petted the outside of Nariku's lower lips with two fingers.

"I'm not!" her embarrassed face grew even more rose in her cheeks, "I checked that day. Those were still blond even though my head changed."

"And just when did you check?" she ran a finger over the lips themselves as if she were about to slip it in-between them.

Nariku shuddered, "Wh-wh-wh-when I woke up with theeeese." She twitched her ears and tail to emphasize what she meant.

"This is one of the things you thought to check?" Sakura traced a line around her sex, nearly folding the lips in just to give Nariku an even bigger tease.

"It wasn't ha-a-a-arrrrrd. I've starte-e-e-ed to sleeeeeep in the nuuude." The tears in her eyes almost look like frustration, but Sakura knew right when she was going to give her what she wanted and didn't let it bother her.

"Why is that? What brought on the change?" she knew the answer but still wanted to hear her admit it.

"I've masturbated to yoooou annd I just wouldn't botheeeer with clothes wh-wh-when I went to sl-EEEP!" Sakura slipped her fingers in-between Nariku's lips, opened them and licked all of her pussy including her clit in one motion.

"Ha ha, you're a naughty girl aren't you Nariku?" that squeal had been so arousing. Sakura wanted to make her make more.

"No! no! no! I just—HAI!" Sakura licked her again, but this time that reality bitch got in the way again. When Sakura's passed off the top, it took a few loose hairs with it. Fortunately, Nariku was covering her face so she didn't see the less then dignifying job of getting them off. Sakura was starting to think that this wasn't going to go as smooth as she had hoped and just forced herself to let it go for now. She wanted to hear more cute little squeals from Nariku.

"It's okay. If it had been the reverse, I'd have done the same." She licked her again gaining another squeak, "Just wait for me from now on. Okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I love you, Sakura." Her face was so warm and loving. It was also pleading for her body to be constantly stimulated.

"I love you too, Nariku. Now are you ready for the real fun?"

"Please quit tea—WAN!" Sakura had intended that lick to be the start of her clitoris message for Nariku, but that sound just grabbed her attention too tightly.

"What was that?" Sakura she asked in a chuckle.

Nariku buried her face in her hands when Sakura asked, "It just happened!"

Sakura pushed herself up and closer to Nariku who looked at her, "Don't be embarrassed. I loved it."

"Really?"

"If it was natural for you, I'd love to hear it again." She let her finger slip in-between Nariku's lower lips and start rubbing her clit, "It seems my little fox is actually a cute little puppy." This time she got to lick the ear tip, causing Nariku to moan the same way Sakura had.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Nariku felt her dream coming true. Sakura's touch, her real touch, was so much better than she ever could have imagined. As she rubbed her button, wave after wave of ecstasy up the front of Nariku's body. Her back arched and she felt her tongue slip out of her mouth. She gasped and moaned to Sakura's message. Yet her vagina was mouthing hungrily for a touch.

The puffs of Sakura's breath in her ear were a wonderful tease. It added something gentle but sensual to her mind. Sakura's finger twirling around her button was unbelievably better than any fantasy she'd had before now. Sakura even drifted down Nariku's body just like in her fantasies. The light puffs on her skin were even more exhilarating than she dreamed, and when her lips touched Nariku's skin, the spot erupted with a feeling that Nariku couldn't put a word to. "Ecstasy" wasn't strong enough. Sakura continued to let her lips trace across Nariku's skin, drawing out moans and gasps with every touch.

As the stimulation continued, Nariku felt her tongue slip out of her mouth. It had become a habit from self-stimulation and pretending to make-out with her fantasy Sakura. As her body started to feel that same lovely fire stoking in her that hadn't been there in a while now. Her skin felt like anything could feel good right now. To feel so ecstatic by Sakura's hand was indescribable.

"Why is your tongue out?" Sakura cued up at Nariku.

"I used to im—AAH—ginnnne making… HA-AH-AH… out with yooooou. It's a habit noooow to leeeeet it out." She didn't mind confessing to Sakura, but she felt like she should be ashamed of herself. Then she felt a lick on her tongue tip and flinched at it. Sakura was at eye level again and smiling at her.

"I think it's cute. You look just like a little puppy panting happily from getting its favorite spot scratched." Sakura pushed down on Nariku's button causing her to squeal, close her eyes, and let her tongue out again. She suddenly felt her mouth enveloped by Sakura's and their tongues start to swirl around each other.

Nariku's body started to feel like her pressure was returning. It felt so natural this time. Her most recent attempts started to be forced, which left her feeling hollow inside, but now she felt the same way she did when she'd first imagined Sakura doing this to her. Her button was sending wave after wave of excitement through her body. Her nipples were so hard that they were starting to tug on the skin around them. There was a roaring inferno in her body from Sakura's hand.

Their tongues swirled, Sakura finger ravaged her button, her body sweat as if trying to cool her off for exercising but without moving, and her mind was starting to go blank as her focus narrowed down to what Sakura was doing. Eventually, Sakura pulled off from the drawn out tongue kiss, causing Nariku to let out a whimper, and put her lips on Nariku's neck. Nariku's butt went numb and her tail puffed as full as it could when Sakura's soft, moist lips glanced against her skin. She felt the rest of her body beg for the touch of Sakura's lips, which she gave generously.

Sakura let her head drift down Nariku's body, touching softly any spot she felt like. Her lips traced the full length of Nariku's collar bone, lightly pecked seven spots on her chest, and then Sakura shifted and ran her tongue down Nariku's thigh. She moaned the whole way. Sakura came back up to Nariku's stomach and lightly traced her bellybutton with her tongue. Her soft and lovely hair gently dancing on her skin the whole way, just not the way Nariku had imagined.

"Sakura, that-that-thaaaaaat —NNNNN— ticklllllllesssss."

"That's the point." She lifted her head up to Nariku's nipple, "You're so fun to tease, but I think we can move on." At the word "on" Sakura stopped toying with Nariku's button and slipped a finger into vagina without warning.

"WAN!" Nariku threw her head back, let her eyes widen and her tongue slip out, bucked her hips, and arched her back at the unexpected penetration. Sakura wasted no time in moving it around inside of her and grabbing one of Nariku's nipples with her mouth. She suckled on it hard enough to pull it up with no teeth. Nariku nearly screamed in pleasure when she felt her breast pop free of Sakura's mouth. Then she gave the other one a similar treatment.

Sakura went back to her first nipple she tugged and gently took it in her teeth. She pressed down on it and pulled her head back causing her teeth to scratch it as they slid off. It was so good. Why hadn't she thought of that when she made Nariku cum from playing with her breast? When she switched to the other one, she put more pressure on it and pulled. This time she didn't let go and just tugged back and forth gently. Nariku felt her pressure building again. This had surpassed all her times masturbating and she was still getting more turned-on. As if thinking that were a cue, Sakura inserted a second finger and spread them as far as she could inside Nariku.

"HAAAAI!" Sakura kept moving them around, spreading them out, curling them to tickle the flesh inside her, and swirling them around in the biggest circle she could trace. "WAN! WAN! AAAAAAH! WAN-TE-HAI!" Sakura pressed them in deeper with them as spread out as they could be with Nariku's body starting to clamp down. "SAAAAKUUUURAAAA! OOOOOOH GAAAA! AAAAH-WAAAN!"

"Aren't you just my noisy little puppy? How do you like it?" Sakura sounded so sultry as she whispered it in Nariku's ear. It made her feel even more hot pressure building in her.

"WAN! WAN! I feeeeel like I—AI—'m gonna cum. I love wha-ha-ha-hat you're doing toooo m—EE!"

"If you can hold that orgasm, I can make it feel even better." _Why is that familiar?_

"How can you?" _I should know what's coming but I can't remember!_

"Like this." Sakura lowered her head down and her hair tickled Nariku's thighs. Then she felt Sakura's tongue hit her button and her body erupted in a new kind of pleasure she'd never felt before. Why she hadn't cum already was a mystery to her.

Sakura started to move her fingers in Nariku in a rhythm and let her tongue move with it. Nariku couldn't think straight, everything in her was focusing on her sex. She twisted her body and squirmed. She tried her hardest not to throw Sakura off, but Sakura never missed a beat. She drove her fingers deeper into Nariku and curled them as best she could, causing Nariku to try and move her hips to drive them even deeper.

"Sakuuura! Your tongue fee—EELS so good on my button!"

Her tongue stopped, but not her fingers, though they slowed, "Your what?" she was panting herself.

"You weeere just lickiiinnnng it."

"That's your clitoris, Nariku. You can call it a 'clit' for short. Heh, you really didn't pay attention in health class."

"I forgot!"

"I love teaching you." She gave an extra hard jab with her hand.

"WAN!"

"OOOOOH I love hearing that. And another word for this." She hit it again earning her her favorite new noise, "is your 'pussy'."

"Myyyyy puussyyyy feeeels gooood!"

"I love hearing you talk dirty," she licked Nariku's clitoris again, "but I like making you moan enough that you can't talk, more." She gave Nariku a deep hard jab with her fingers, started moving them faster than she had the whole time, and assaulted her clit with renewed vigor.

Nariku was screaming with pleasure now. Her eyes were streaming with tears from the ecstasy. Her hips bucking as hard as she could but somehow not throwing off Sakura. Her nipples needed to be played with too, so she pinched them herself and felt everything start to rush to her climax.

"I'm cumming! I'm cumming! OH SAKURA! I'm really gonna BLOW!"

"Let it go!" Sakura moaned.

One of Nariku's hands let go of her nipple and slid down her body stopping at her leg joint next to Sakura's head, "SAAAKUUUURAAA!"

"Grab whatever you want." She gasped out. Nariku couldn't hold back the urge to grab Sakura's scalp and pull her head a little tighter to her body. It did nothing to Sakura's rhythm.

"I'm cumming! I'm cumming! I'm gonna BLOW! WAN-WAN-WAN-WANROOOOOOH!" she heard herself howl as she felt the best orgasm she'd ever had wash through her body. Her fingers grabbed Sakura's hair and pushed her tighter into her body. Nariku thought she felt Sakura's mouth just wrap around her clit like a kiss. Her back couldn't arch any more if she tried and her sex felt indescribably wonderful.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Sakura didn't mind Nariku's hand on her head; in fact it was kind of exhilarating. There was something about it that made her body crave to be touched more, or harder. She kept licking Nariku's clit, pausing only to pick off the occasional hair. Soon she felt Nariku bucking her hips to the point Sakura really had to concentrate to keep her rhythm constant. Nariku's moaning and barking was so cute, it turned Sakura on so much to hear it. When Nariku came, she shoved Sakura's head into her pelvis and Sakura just latched her mouth onto Nariku's clit and licked it best her could. She liked the manhandling a little. It was fun to feel Nariku be controlling.

That was when Sakura felt something from Nariku's body splash on her chin, neck, and even some on her breast. She flinched and tried to pull away but was held in place by Nariku's figures laced in her hair. Nariku wouldn't have done what Sakura was thinking, would she? Nariku just wasn't that kind of girl, but Sakura couldn't be certain. She just waited until Nariku let her go and tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.

When Nariku's hand let go, Sakura sat up and looked at her face. Her eye were glazed over and hooded. Her tongue hung out of her mouth and she was panting heavily. Her face was cute and Sakura would have started making out with her, but the wet sensation on her neck bothered her until she found out what it was. She ran her dry finger across her chin and realized the fluid was sticky, like what was on her other hand.

Nariku couldn't have. Could she. Sakura always thought that the explosive orgasm was just a fantasy. The kind of thing that made books more interesting. She smelled her hand and Nariku's scent drifted into her nose. Her only other test would be to taste it. So cautiously, she stuck her tongue out and licked her finger. It really _was_ Nariku's cum. Sakura couldn't believe it. She pinched her finger and thumb together and pulled them back apart. A string of liquid formed in-between them.

"Something wrong?" Nariku asked her looking worried she'd done something wrong.

"um," Sakura tried to find her words, "You literally blew, didn't you?" chuckling awkwardly.

"Yeah." Nariku started to shy up some, "Is that bad?"

"No, I just never believed it was real. I've read about it, but I thought it was a fantasy because I don't do it, and I never heard of it outside the dirty stuff I've read." She looked Nariku in the eyes, "Why didn't you do this when I was playing with your breast?"

"It wasn't that good. I loved it, but it was nothing compared to you playing with my pussy." Nariku said it as if not to insult the job Sakura had done playing with her breast and blushed like she wasn't used to talking dirty yet.

Sakura finally found herself able to kiss Nariku, "I'm glad you found it that good." She kissed her again, "but now I'm all messy."

"I'll clean you."

"But it's your cum."

Nariku leaned forward, took Sakura's hand, and licked and suckled her fingers, "That never bothered me before." She gave Sakura the most adorable pleading puppy-dog look. Sakura melted.

"Okay," she sat up, puffed her chest out some, and presented herself to Nariku, "clean me off."

Nariku leaned forward and started to run her tongue along Sakura's chin causing her to shiver. She was getting excited from Nariku's touch, and the time she'd gone depriving her own body of being stimulated. Nariku's hand slid up Sakura's thigh as she got closer to keep cleaning Sakura's chin and cheeks. It really did feel like she was being cleaned by a pet but she liked the way Nariku's tongue slid across her skin. As Nariku's tongue worked its way along Sakura's jaw line, Sakura's skin started to tingle. She'd not realized just how needy she'd become depriving herself of Nariku's touch.

When she moved to her neck, she felt like her whole back would go numb. The sensation was so intense after her body was forced to go wanting for so long. Nariku's tongue slid over her whole neck taking every drop of her own fluid with it. Sakura shivered under the sensation and idea of Nariku licking her clean after she'd had such an explosive orgasm. Sakura's nipples were growing so hard that they nearly hurt and her pussy begged to be played with. Nariku finally worked her way down to Sakura's breast and started to lap at them as if she were more interested in licking Sakura's skin then cleaning off the cum but Sakura wasn't going to complain. She was so excited that the stroke of her tongue was electrifying to her.

Once all of the fluids were gone Nariku keep running her tongue across Sakura's breast and finally hit her nipple. The jolt she felt from it made her squeal. All of the sudden she felt like she might could get off on just breast play. Nariku started to suckle on one of Sakura's nipples and her body caved. She couldn't hold herself up anymore and flopped on her back letting Nariku crawl on top of her to continue. Her hand slid onto Sakura's other breast and started to message it. The pressure of having them squeezed made the pressure in-between her legs build. She started to squirm as she felt her body growing hotter from Nariku's touch. Her body heat on top of Sakura made her feel so good. Her breasts were tingling with every squeeze Nariku gave them. When she felt her nipples pinched she couldn't hold down the squeal.

"Are you feeling good, Sakura?" Nariku asked with a light giggle.

"OOOOOH y—EEAH!" Sakura felt like she was going to blow like Nariku would say, "Don't stop! Don't stop!"

"I wasn't gonna." Nariku took a nipple back in her mouth and suckled hard enough to pull Sakura's breast up without her teeth. Sakura's back arched as if to try and follow her breast to extend the sensation before her body pulled itself loose. Before she felt her back could let itself back down she felt Nariku's hands under her back and then her legs started getting pushed up and into her torso. Nariku had curled her legs up and was fold Sakura's legs over her torso to the point that their pelvises touched. Their short hairs rubbed softly against each other as Nariku continued to orally assault Sakura's nipples.

Sakura started to feel herself get more worked up from the change of position. It felt like something should just let itself in her and start to satisfy the need for touch she was feeling in her pussy. Her clit was swollen and begging for as much stimulation as her nipples were getting. She started to buck her hips to try and get any kind of touch she could down there.

"Nariku! Pleeeeease play with myyy pusssyyyy. I neeeed it!" she moaned out in the most begging tone she'd ever heard herself speak in. Her back arched and her hand clenched into Nariku's sheets as much as she could. Form the way her body was coiling tighter and tighter, she thought she might rip the sheets.

"Oh but, Sakura." Nariku said in a cute, teasing tone, "Teasing's half the fun."

_Oh Dear God she's using my own words against me! I'm going to burst from anticipation and she's going to let me suffer until I get there!_ She pressed her body up into Nariku's and tried to find a way to turn her pussy into Nariku's so she could at least rub herself to relieve the need for touch. Having Nariku laying on top of her, suckling her nipples so hungrily, and pulling them tighter and tighter together so she couldn't change position to stimulate herself was driving Sakura insane. But she was loving every minute of it.

-^-v-^-v-^-

"Just let me play, Sakura. I promise you'll love it." Nariku felt like she was getting the hang of teasing and was really starting to like it. Sakura was starting to moan so loud that it almost hurt Nariku's ears, but she liked this kind of hurt. Sakura was begging her to be touched but Nariku felt like returning a favor to her and held off until she felt like giving her the relief she wanted.

Sakura's skin had gotten salty from the sweat that she was making under Nariku's body. The texture of Sakura's nipple in her mouth was so good for her and apparently for Sakura as well. As Nariku played with her Sakura started to squirm and buck her hips as best she could with Nariku holding her so tight to keep her from changing her position in any way. Feeling Sakura under her gave Nariku an idea. She had every intention of giving her what she wanted but maybe not in the way she had in mind.

Nariku knew her boneless tail had a core of some kind. She'd felt the solid mass in it before. So if it was solid enough to feel by hand then surely it was solid enough to stimulate Sakura's clit. So she moved her tail in-between Sakura's legs and started to dust her lips with it.

"You ready for this, Sakura?"

"I don't know. That might be weird."

"Do you mean you don't want me to?" Nariku felt a little rejected. She wanted to use her newest limb in a creative way, but she didn't want to bother Sakura with it if it wasn't her taste.

"Uummm. Okay, Nariku. Go ahead. It's part of your body so I don't mind if you try. I've just never thought about that kind of texture for that."

"Really?" Nariku almost felt her tail wag prematurely.

"Go ahead and rub me." Sakura said with a certain amount of nerves showing.

"Then get ready. I hope you love it." Nariku started to press her tail into Sakura's lower lips and wiggle it in a way to spread them apart and so she could tickle her real interest. As she swept at them she became aware of how wet Sakura had become. She managed to get its core to push the lips apart and pressed in as hard as she could with it. Sakura let out a squeal of pleasure the instant Nariku's tail core started to press into her clit. Once Nariku started to rub it into Sakura's body Sakura started to squirm and arch so much stronger than she had when Nariku was just playing with her breast. That didn't mean that Nariku was done with her breast yet though.

When she took Sakura's nipple back in her mouth, Sakura practically screamed in ecstasy and her arms wrapped around Nariku's back. Her finger began to clutch and her nails even lightly dug into Nariku's skin. Something in Nariku liked the feeling of Sakura's nails digging into her back. It didn't really hurt, it scraping just excited something in her as Sakura pulled he tighter and tighter into her body. Sakura even got her legs around Nariku's butt and was squeezing her tighter in that way too. As Nariku felt Sakura hold tighten, she felt compelled to tighten her own grip on Sakura and hugged her tighter to herself.

Nariku started to knead Sakura's nipple like Sakura had done to her. Sakura's body felt like it was tightening to a point that it would snap. As she did, Nariku thought of when her body started to feel that kind of pressure in it and decided now would be a good time to rub on Sakura harder and faster with her tail.

"OOOOOH GAAAAA… NARIIIIIIIKUUUUUUU! I'M GOIIIINNNG CRAZY!" She panted a couple of times and then let out a moaning scream when Nariku moved her tail in a more vigorous wiggle, "MORE! MORE! MORE!"

Nariku's body was starting to feel needy for touch again. Her own fire was reigniting and she felt the need to move any part of her she could on Sakura's body. The two of them were covered in enough sweat now that Nariku's stomach was slipping around on Sakura's as Sakura rolled as best she could being pinned underneath Nariku. Their pelvises rubbed on each other and Nariku could feel Sakura's hairs tickling her as much as she felt her own rubbing into Sakura. She wanted them to press into each other more, rub together more, even share sweat more. She just wanted to become as close to Sakura as possible by whatever touch they could find.

Sakura was almost going silent from the stimulation. She would breathe in like she was panting, then breath out like she was going to scream but it caught in her throat. Nariku couldn't tell if she was restraining herself or if it really couldn't find its way out, but she liked the way it sounded. She felt like it meant she was doing this right. The more Sakura silent screamed the more Nariku wanted to pull her tighter. She switched nipples and her hands found themselves drifting in opposite directions on Sakura's back. Soon she had one hand full of Sakura's butt cheek and the other almost holding her neck. This seemed to have prompted Sakura to do the same because Nariku found Sakura's hand on the back of her head and the other as low on her back as it could reach and scratching her skin in an attempt to find something to clutch.

"Nariiii, you're a naaaaturaaal! I'm gonnaaaaaaaa—" Sakura's voice faded into another failed scream, but when Nariku lightly bit on the nipple she was suckling it must have broken the obstruction, "OH GOD! NARIIIIII! I'M GOOOONNAAAA CUUM!" It made Nariku wish she wasn't using her tail to give Sakura this feeling, she wanted to wag it in pride so bad, but Sakura's excitement was more than worth the restraint.

"Don't hold back, Sakura. Let it go as hard as you want." Nariku said in an out of breath voice. She hadn't realized how much she had put into this, or how much she was starting to crave more stimulation from Sakura.

"I LOVE YOU, NARI! I'M CUMMING!" Sakura's breaths grew shorter and more frantic leading up to the loudest scream of the night so far. Her back arched, her head leaned back so far that Nariku could only see her neck and chin, her fingers laced themselves almost painfully tight in Nariku's hair, her other hand ran itself up her back as her body stiffened, and her pelvis pressed harder into Nariku's as Nariku just held her tighter feeling so happy that she'd given Sakura an orgasm that seemed as strong as her own.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Never in her whole life would Sakura have thought that she would cum so hard from feeling fur rubbed on her clit. If it hadn't Nariku's then she probably wouldn't have, but how had Nariku gotten so good from just her own "practice" and the one round Sakura had given her? Nariku's tail pressing into her clit and rubbing the way it did was so much more exciting then Sakura thought it would have been. Plus she didn't realize just how sensitive and needy her body had become not touching herself in any way for so long. Sakura never got that excited from _just_ her clitoris being played with, and even though she tried earlier in the evening, she'd never gotten so much out of her nipples being played with that she felt like she could orgasm from it. Even Nariku rubbing against her skin felt like it was enough to make her the horniest she'd ever been.

That didn't change the fact that Nariku somehow just rubbed and licked all the right spots in all the right ways. She was a natural at this. Sakura had no idea how she held out as long as she did. Her body was hot and sweaty now and everything was tired. She needed to lie still for a moment and catch her breath, but something in her wanted to start this ride all over again once she caught her second wind which felt closer than she might have thought.

Nariku laid down on her and just rested her head on Sakura's breast for a moment and just looked at her with those gorgeous blue eyes that were shining from the light that was coming in the window, "How did it feel?"

"Did I blow like you did? Because I feel like I could have." She doubted it but she had _never_ cum that hard.

Nariku checked her tail, "Don't think so. It doesn't look or feel splashed on. But I'm glad I got to return the favor."

"Oh you _did_!" Sakura moaned out, "_Believe me_, you did."

Nariku crawled off of Sakura and just sat next to her for a moment. Moonlight and the streetlights were casting a glow through the window that bathed them in a blue hue. Nariku's body was gleaming with sweat from both of them, accenting all of the best parts of her body. Her collarbone had a highlight that slipped down and guided Sakura's eyes to Nariku's chest. Her nipples had a glint next to them that pulled her attention to them. She skin just shone in the light and her stomach was highlighted in such a way as to show her toned muscles. Her arms were in-front of her some and they shone as magnificently as the rest of her body, complimenting her torso with the same gleam as her glistening thighs. Sakura caught her breath and sat herself up and just look Nariku in the eyes.

Then Nariku made a move towards her. Sakura leaned back a bit out of reflex of something coming at her head, but stopped herself and let Nariku do as she would. Nariku's head went over the top of Sakura's and she felt her hair catch just a little in Nariku's mouth, then a hand went behind her head and she felt the knot come out of her Hitai-ate. She'd forgotten she was wearing it. Then Nariku sat back, pulling the headband off letting her hands rest on Sakura's shoulders.

She just gazed into Sakura's eyes and looked at her head as a whole. Nariku just held the Hitai-ate in her mouth as she stared. Her ears were erect, her tail lightly swished, and there was a glint in her eyes that just barely shook. Sakura's hair had slipped some and was just slightly in her face now. Her bangs fell in-front of her eyes some as she kept her gaze locked on Nariku. Nariku's hands brushed Sakura's hair out of her face just slightly and just kept taking Sakura in.

There was something powerful and enchanting about Nariku's eyes right now. She was just mesmerized by Sakura right now. It was the first time in her life that someone had looked at Sakura like that. She felt her cheeks warming up as she felt the strength of Nariku's gaze on her. Nariku just kept her hands brushed her hair one more time then slid down her jaw, one stopped on her chin, and the other lowered to the bed and braced Nariku some. The hitai-ate in gently caught in her mouth the whole time.

She finally dropped it and said, "I love the way your hair looks down, Sakura." Sakura couldn't help but blush at the statement. The sincerity of her voice made Sakura's heart skip. No one had ever been so entranced by her and her alone. Lee was too goofy to count and felt like he was just acting on the fact he thought she was pretty, taking it to his usual extreme. Try as she might, she'd never gotten Sasuke's attention when she wanted to. Something had caused him to consider everything in life but the pursuit of power on his mission to kill that certain someone a distraction. Nariku was completely taken by just Sakura's natural being. She considered her pretty, liked her personality, and now was lost in love just looking at Sakura with her hair down.

Sakura couldn't help but feel the same looking back into Nariku's eyes. Nariku had done so much for her. She'd saved her life from the sand gauntlet, she'd always been sincere with Sakura, and even though she'd felt so strongly for Sakura, Nariku had just honored Sakura's desire to be with Sasuke at the cost of her own comfort and emotional desire. Sakura had never had anyone outside her family care for her like that, and certainly been so unselfish with her. Nariku looked like she should go to the hospital by the time she'd broken and confessed involuntarily.

Sakura started to lean in toward Nariku as if she were being guided by Nariku's hand on her chin. Nariku dusted the hitai-ate out of the way and met Sakura's lips. They just held the kiss. A simple and beautiful kiss. The contact of the other's lips was all it needed to be. Soon their lips parted and meet again. Nariku's hand had left Sakura's chin. Sakura moved her hands until she felt her fingers glance across Nariku's and Nariku moved hers to lace with Sakura's with their palms still down. With the next parting of lips Sakura pulled herself closer to Nariku. She felt the bed shift as Nariku did the same. Her eyes were closed and she could only assume that Nariku was doing the same. She laced her finger into Nariku's more until they turned them up and their palms met. She moved in closer to Nariku. Their hands came up and they started to kiss more open mouth. Soon Sakura let her hands leave Nariku's and slid them behind Nariku's back. Nariku moved closer and put her hands on the small of Sakura's back.

-^-v-^-v-^-

They moved closer still and now were standing on their knees and embracing each other in an ever tightening hold. Soon they were kissing more passionately. Sakura's hand drifted up Nariku's back to her shoulder while the other stayed on the small of her back. Nariku moaned lightly when she felt the movement and returned the favor. On one rejoining of lips, Nariku's tongue slipped over her teeth and touched Sakura's lip. Sakura's then slipped forward and started to beckon Nariku's into her mouth. Once it had, Sakura's ventured into Nariku's and they started to roll them around each other with no real interest in who would win the wrestling match. As they played with each other's tongue they started to let their hands slip down each other's bodies until Sakura's met the base of Nariku's tail and Nariku's finger tips just glanced the top of Sakura's buttock. They continued to kiss deeply and with tongue for an unknown amount of time with their hands hovering above the point that would send them into another round of intimacy.

They parted lips and stared into each other's eyes as they caught their breaths. Nariku's hand slipped first and she started to lower her head so she could take Sakura's nipple into her mouth and suckle on it the same way she had earlier that night. Sakura's body was gorgeous and the blue hue of the window light was adding to it in an irresistible way. Her hair hung just slightly over her face in an incredibly sexy way. Nariku loved the view from her new angle but was more interested in action then viewing. So she cupped Sakura's breast in her hand and licked her nipple twice before taking it into her mouth and sucking hard to take in as much as she could. Sakura's taste was much saltier after the sweat they had shared. The smell Sakura's breast gave off was so intoxicating for Nariku and she was getting aroused in a whole new way.

As Nariku suckled and licked Sakura's nipple, Sakura's hands wouldn't leave Nariku's back. She wanted to keep her hold on Nariku for as long as she would let her. As Nariku used her mouth and tongue to stimulate Sakura's nipple Sakura's chest started to feel the same way it did when she was on the last receiving end. Her breast felt so good as Nariku sucked on her nipple and messaged her other breast. The fire in her was starting to stock in a way she'd never felt before. There was a new coiling in her body that just begged to be amplified. She craved Nariku in a way she'd not felt yet. Nariku's mouth playing with her nipple felt electrifying and cased a new pressure in her chest that made her inner desire coil tighter. Soon her hands started to slip and she placed them on Nariku's shoulder. She pushed on her and Nariku let herself be guided back into an upright position, looking confused as to why she was being made to stop playing with Sakura. Sakura gave her an answer without word as she returned favor with vigor.

Nariku arched her back and moaned loudly at the feeling of her nipple pulling her skin tight as Sakura pulled it up with her mouth. That electric sensation coiling her need for touch down there tighter and tighter. Sakura rubbed Nariku's other breast in the way she had before when she tickled both the breast and the nipple. Nariku felt her body tightening from the touch and warmth of Sakura playing with her. As she became more and more worked up, Sakura shifted to using just her hands. Nariku felt the twist of her nipple in her whole. When she squealed Sakura caught her open mouth again and darted her tongue in. Nariku only happily met it and they play fought more. Her hands had clasped Sakura's waist and now she moved one down to try and give Sakura something in return. She slid her hand around Sakura's front and started to move it down to her tuft of hair. When she finally got in between Sakura's legs, she found it harder than expected to get her finger in Sakura's lips without looking, but Sakura's wet pussy was a strong motivator. Soon she found her way in them and hit Sakura's clit first thing out of pure luck. When she did, Sakura moaned into her mouth and darted her tongue in deeper causing a surprised shiver in Nariku.

Sakura liked the way it felt to have Nariku fumbling around on her trying to find her way into Sakura's pussy. She just hadn't expected her to hit her clit as soon as her got in. The jolt to her pleasure center caused her Whole body to spark. Once Nariku started to rub, Sakura's whole body started to tighten up. Her spine tried to stiffen, her breaths came quicker, she almost lost concentration on Nariku's pleasure, and she felt the coiling pressure in her stock the fire she was feeling higher. Soon she felt the urge to return the favor to Nariku as she continued to play with her breast. She just couldn't short Nariku on her fair share of ecstasy and started to play with the breast in her left hand more vigorously. As she did, her other hand slipped in between Nariku's legs and her fingers found their way into her pussy lips and slid around trying to hit Nariku's clit. Her Inner-Sakura cussed at reality again but stopped as soon as she grazed a familiar fleshy nub that made Nariku moan out in that cute voice she had, muffled as it was, and pushed her tongue deeper into Sakura's mouth. Sakura decided to give her more and let her fingers move to find Nariku's vagina. She found it with no complications and berried two fingers in it as soon as she did. Nariku jolted into her some and started to moan into the kiss. To Sakura's surprise, Nariku instantly returned the favor, causing her to press tighter into Nariku.

Nariku's dreams were really coming true. She'd fanaticized about this so much that this almost didn't feel real. But it felt too good not to be. Her body was burning with ecstasy, her breast was growing more sensitive by the rub, and Sakura was returning every touch and kiss with equal fervor. She felt herself clinching down more and more on Sakura's fingers and Sakura doing the same to hers. Soon they wouldn't be able to move them and would have to rub in and out to stimulate. Nariku's walls were starting to constrict around Sakura's fingers and build the pressure in her more. Soon Sakura hit a bundle of nerves that electrified her whole body and pushed her closer to that edge.

Sakura knew she hit something in Nariku because Nariku lurched into Sakura's body, hitting something new. Sakura knew it wasn't her g-spot, but it would work for now. Their tongues were fighting now not to win dominance, but just to vent the building energy in their bodies. As they continued, each one tried to stay on the new found spot of pleasure. Nariku started to try and grind into Sakura's hand, and Sakura's body started to go rigid from stimulation. Soon Sakura found herself needing more. She needed something more intimate. She wanted to feel their bodies intertwined and touching in each other as personally and intimately as possible. She could only think one way, if she could make it work. So to Nariku's, and a little bit of her own, disappointment, she stopped fingering Nariku and pull Nariku away from her.

"Did I do something wrong?" Nariku asked in a pant.

"No. I just want to try something, but I don't know if it will work. I just hope I don't ruin this for us." Sakura answered with her heat still in her voice. She tried to guide Nariku to put her back facing the head board. Their bodies still shone in the light of the window. Sakura was just hoping that this would work the way her head had it playing out, "sit down and spread your legs as wide as you can." Nariku complied and Sakura was caught a little off guard at how flexible Nariku actually was. She nearly did a full split.

"Like this?" Sakura froze a moment taking in Nariku in this position. Noting was hidden. Her breast gleamed from the fluids on them; her body's boyish charm was so apparent that Sakura lost herself looking at her for a moment. Yet she still had a feminine appeal to her body. Sakura could see it in her waist. Nariku really was turning into a curvy woman, if only slower than the rest of them. Her pussy was presented to Sakura so openly, with no guard what so ever, and the juices glistening in the light from the window. Something in Sakura felt special for being the one to see Nariku like this. Nariku really did want Sakura badly, and it made Sakura crave Nariku that much more.

She shook her head and snapped out of her seduced daze and crawled over to her and sat down. She spread her own legs and tried to decide to best approach. Finally she grabbed one of Nariku's thighs and lifted it, "That's perfect. Now put this leg over mine," Nariku did as she was told.

She felt like she could guess were Sakura was taking this but she just did know how to feel about it. Nariku didn't know if she'd be any good at this if they could make it work. She felt herself get hotter and more excited waiting for them to touch as Sakura threaded her leg over the one Nariku still had on the bed. Her clit felt ecstatic and needy for the contact she knew was coming.

"Now just push into me," was all Sakura said as her body drifted toward Nariku's. Nariku pushed forward and felt Sakura get hotter and hotter as she got closer. Soon she could feel the moisture on Sakura's pussy as she hovered hesitantly just at the last point to stop. She looked uncertain herself and Nariku felt the need to finish their contact. She placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and looked her in the eyes. They just gazed into each other's eyes for a moment as if silently talking about what to do; then Nariku leaned to Sakura and kissed her deeply. Sakura finally committed to her plan and their bodies met.

Nariku never would have imagined being connected to Sakura like this. They were actually rubbing their most private parts together. Nariku could feel the fluids mixing, their skin touching, her clitoris rubbing Sakura's. She just needed to feel them move together. Feel the flow of them both moving together to please each other. She broke the kiss and waited for Sakura to take the lead.

"Okay now just start to move with me if you can." Sakura felt ready to cum as she spoke, but was falling off of it as she felt her nerves getting to her as she tried to guide Nariku in a rhythm of clit rubbing. She knew girls could do this, but had no idea how to really go through with it. She just needed the intimacy with Nariku.

She pressed into Nariku and pushed her back a little and slid herself up some to rub on Nariku's body. Then she stopped and tried to get Nariku to push back. The girl did and Sakura felt an electric felling run through her she'd never felt before. It was the familiar feeling from her clitoris, but so much more special. She got more from that one rub than she ever had just because she was this intimate with Nariku. She pushed back on Nariku and tried to get them into a rhythm. Soon they were rubbing with each other at a slow speed and the feeling grew stronger and started to beg to be rubbed faster and harder.

Sakura started to pick up tempo and Nariku tried to follow. She did have a hard time staying on Sakura's clit as they speed up. The feeling dulled just barely with each miss and she tried to stay with it and on target for Sakura. Her body needed this but if Sakura was feeling what she felt then the misses would start to get annoying. As she continued she found herself getting into it more as she learned Sakura's movement and it felt like Sakura was adjusting hers to stay with Nariku. Her body was getting more and more pressure building in it. Her clitoris was twisting her insides like a spring winding tight enough to snap and her vagina was mouthing at Sakura trying to fell this intimate contact too.

Nariku fell into rhythm and they started to build up speed as they pressed harder into each other. Sakura felt something grab her breast and when she looked, Nariku was playing with it, holing herself up with only one hand. The feeling of it on top of her clit was amazing beyond words. She tried to return it to Nariku, but could only rub her nipple and pinch it lightly. When she pulled gently, Nariku let out her "wan" squeak and threw her head back. Sakura couldn't help but push harder and Nariku returned it graciously.

Both of their bodies were building to their climax. Nariku needed to hold Sakura, not just play with her. Sakura's hand grabbed Nariku's shoulder when she felt something hard on one of Nariku's pushes. If she could have she would have held her with both hands but she would fall if she used both hands so her other gripped and twisted the bed sheets as tight as possible. Both had tears streaming from their eyes as they felt the end coming. Nariku's sapphires drank in Sakura's aqua drops as they moaned and called to each other with their coils tightening and pressure building to the bursting point. Both were covered in a new sheen of sweat and the moonlight gave them a gleam that just pushed both of them closer to the edge.

"Sa-Sa-Sakuuurrraaa!" Nariku's tongue fell free of her mouth again. It really was her habit during this.

"Don't goooo yet. Hold it, Nariku! I'm soooo close!" Sakura cried out feeling that Nariku might cum before she could.

"Wan! WAN! I doon't kn—OH if I CAN!"

Sakura felt her pressure about burst but she just wasn't quite close enough yet. She pulled Nariku closer to her and kissed her deeply. Their tongues met again and she felt her moment getting closer, faster. If she could just feel herself cum with Nariku. That was all that mattered in the world right now.

As Nariku felt Sakura's tongue in her mouth, her coil felt ready to snap. She moaned as loudly as her could into the kiss, she couldn't hold it back. Her body wanted to burst but she forced it back for Sakura. Somehow it felt more exciting to repress it but she couldn't hold forever.

"Saaakuraaaa!" as she broke the kiss, "I'm gonna cum! I'm gonna blow again!"

"Try to hold it!"

"I CAN'T!" she held as longs as she could, but her coil snapped, "SAAAKUUUURAAAA!" Her body went ridged as the orgasmic wave washed over her in a way she'd never felt before. Her back arched and locked like never before. Her tail went stiff and fluffed like the most it ever had all the time she had it. Her mind almost blanked if it weren't for the fact that she felt Sakura start to rub on her more vigorously and hold her butt to pull her tighter. Nariku was not going to leave Sakura hanging.

-^-v-^-v-^-

Sakura felt Nariku splash on her and it pushed her closer still but not enough. She was worried that she wouldn't get hers. She wanted to share this with Nariku and now it seemed she wasn't sensitive enough to keep up with Nariku's orgasm. She tried to get herself off while Nariku was still on hers but she felt like she'd not make it and crash. Then she felt Nariku's hand slide free of her shoulder and fall in their laps. To Sakura's very ecstatic surprise, Nariku's thumb found Sakura's clit and rubbed vigorously. She could feel the orgasm still shaking Nariku and in only three fast and hard strokes Sakura felt her indescribable orgasmic release.

"OOOOOOH GAAAAA! NAAAAARRRRIIIIIIIII!" She never knew she could be so loud. Sakura's whole body was a wave of ecstasy as she felt it quake with Nariku's in climatic bliss.

* * *

Well that was a long one. I hope y'all liked it. I wanted to do something big for the girls basically consummating their relationship. I hope the arrival at this point wasn't too fast, and I hope the deeds themselves work in most of your tastes. I tapped into some stuff not everyone might like. So review, comment, or whatever feedback you want to give. To those following the story: I am so sorry I took this long after such a big burst of activity last time I posted. I hope the conclusion of this arc next chapter will be posted in a timelier manner.

Again, please review.


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